Why do I always end up as bait?
by Frog-Lizard
Summary: Frog: Alys and Selendrile decide to stay in a pleasent looking town. Only thing is, it's not quite as pleasent as they once thought. Drenn is known for it's mysterious disappearences. Will Alys be next? -On a permanent hiatus, sorry guys-
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: Yes I know I'm starting _WAY_ too many stories than is for my own good. But I lost my notebook that has Define Fairytale, and now I'm restless and must write something. So this is the second story I've started in the past two days. I don't know how often I will update since my other stories come first, but I've never given up on a story, and I don't intend to do the same with this one. So if I don't update in awhile sometimes, just understand that I get busy just like everyone else. I'm not sure if the title makes sense, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.

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Alys sighed heavily as Seledrile flew off toward the mountains. They had been traveling together for a few months now. They would journey by day or night (whichever suited him best at the time), and would occasionally stop by towns. This was frustrating to Alys, because he would always drop her off and leave her to find an inn for them to stay in on her own. Which could prove to be difficult since she was a girl (her hair had grown back enough for people to be able to tell), and appeared to be alone. Then Selendrile would always show up in the evening, and smirk triumphantly if he found out she had failed.

That was another thing; they were traveling as a couple now. But even despite this, woman would always flirt with him, even when it should be obvious he was taken. It unnerved Alys in ways she couldn't explain. Maybe she was just getting too much into the act of being his girlfriend/fiancé/wife. Yeah, that was it…

As she was thinking, she arrived at the gates to the latest city they would be staying at. By the looks of things, it was close to the size of Griswold, but still a bit smaller. The doors opened for the day as she approached and the guards let her in without question, and even smiled warmly at her. Alys sighed slightly with relief. Apparently no one had spotted Selendrile when he left.

She then began the job of finding a place to stay. It was early morning, and people were already meandering the roads.

"Are you lost, miss?" came a cool voice from behind her. She turned to see an aristocratic-looking man with feathered hat and a cloak that hid most of his body from view.

"Um…I was just looking for the inn," Alys stated sheepishly. He stared at her a moment, causing her to shift her weight nervously.

"Did you see or hear a dragon at all this morning?" he asked, ignoring her question. She tried not to look startled. So someone _had _seen? Normally an alarm would have been raised, right?

"Ah…n-no sir. I haven't…" she lied. He didn't look like he believed her either, but said nothing.

"The nearest inn is right over there," he gestured to a building down the street a ways.

"Th-thank you sir," she bowed, and hurried off. She felt his gaze follow her until she got inside.

Upon entering, she was greeted by a lovely lady with a bright smile. Alys winced inwardly. She could picture how this one was going to act now, the moment Selendrile walked in the door…

"Can I help you young miss?" she asked kindly. Alys gave her a smile, despite her growing dread of what was to happen later today when this woman wouldn't seem quite so nice.

"My husband and I want to stay the night here. Are there any rooms available?" she asked. She was quite used to this act now, and Selendrile had even taught her proper manners for this kind of thing.

"You're husband?" the woman looked behind her to see if she had missed someone.

"He'll be here this evening, but had some work to take care of first," Alys took out her money pouch, "Is that alright?"

"Oh, it's fine," she laughed, "I'll go get a bed ready for the two of you. Just go over there to my husband for charges. It won't cost much, don't worry."

She winked, and was gone in an instant down one of the halls. Alys did as she was told, and paid the woman's husband. Alys figured he was the owner's son, since he was taking orders from an older looking man. She then left the inn to explore.

The town was already bustling by now. Alys wasn't sure she liked the loud market place, so she made her way by it until she came to a much less populated street. At the end of it was a gorgeous manor. It looked as though it had been carved out of white soap, and was accented around the doors and windows with gold. Billowy curtains flapped out some of the windows and from a balcony. It was at least four stories tall. Alys stared at it in aw.

"Did you need something, miss?" came a slightly exasperated voice. She jumped and turned to see the man from before.

"I-I was just looking," she stuttered, "Who lives here?"

He just stared at her some more, "I don't believe we have been properly introduced," he muttered.

"Oh, um," Alys blushed. She wasn't used to dealing with these noble types. Selendrile had never taught her how. And this particular fellow shook her in a way she couldn't quite explain, "My name's Alys."

"Eldeck," he stated simply, and then turned to the building, "My wife and I live here…Would you like a tour Miss Alys?"

"No thank you," she bowed politely.

"Perhaps another time, then?" he cocked his head, and for a moment almost seemed kind.

"Maybe. I'll have to ask my husband what he thinks."

Eldeck nodded, and walked inside the building, and Alys hurried away. She didn't like that guy. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just that he seemed so cold. But it was a feeling she couldn't quite place just the same.

By evening, she returned to the gate to wait for Selendrile. He arrived, albeit, a little later than he sometimes did. But Alys knew he was rarely punctual. She hurried over to him, and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek as he held her close. They had to appear to be a couple after all.

"How was your day, darling," he asked, smirking, "Find a place for us to stay?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," she responded haughtily, and took his hand and began leading him to the inn.

They opened the door, and were greeted by the same woman as before. Alys averted her eyes when her gaze fell on Selendrile, and braced herself for what was to come. But, much to her surprise…it didn't. She looked back up, to see the woman was still staring at him with an unreadable look.

Selendrile nudged her in the direction of the hallway as other eyes were directed toward the door. Alys quickly lead him to the room they were staying in, and closed the door panting. Neither of them noticed a boy run out into the street toward the manor.

"Why were they acting like that?" she asked worriedly, "You haven't been here before, have you?"

He shrugged, "Not that I can remember…" he paused thoughtfully, concern flashing over his face for a moment, "Perhaps we should leave…"

Alys gulped, "Back through that room?"

"No," he opened the window, "It would be a much better idea to go this way."

He then jumped out the window (they were on the second floor), and landed without difficulty. She glared down at him.

"You don't honestly expect me to do that, do you?" she snorted.

"No. I expect you to jump and let me catch you," he stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. She gave him a skeptical look, trusting him just as much to catch her as to let her fall. He sighed heavily, almost rolling his eyes.

"Come on, Alys. We don't have time for this."

He was right. She just wished he wasn't. So she closed her eyes, and let herself fall. A small shriek escaped her as she went down. And wonder of wonders, he _did _catch her.

"See? I can be nice," he snorted indignantly, as the hurried out of the ally way. They then began weaving their way through the crowds back toward the gate, trying their best not to run so that they wouldn't raise suspicion. However, a guard stood between them and freedom.

"Halt! You are not permitted to go any further," he ordered.

"Please sir. We have to be someplace," Selendrile tried to reason. He wouldn't budge, and instead looked passed them to where a young lad had come up panting.

"H-h-her lady-ship wishes to see the two of you," he gasped. By now a crowd was beginning to gather.

"Well? You heard the boy!" the guard barked. Selendrile didn't budge.

"Maybe we should…" Alys began, but the dragon interrupted her.

"I'm sorry, but she will have to wait. We must be going now, excuse us," Selendrile began to push his way by the soldier. Alys began to follow him, but was suddenly seized from behind. She shrieked as two other guards held her arms, and her companion looked back at her in shock.

"I'd do as her lady-ship requests if I were you," the first guard hissed, "Dragon…"

Alys' breath caught in her throat. They knew? She looked around frantically to see the other guards brandishing iron weapons, and started to panic.

"Selendrile! Get out of here!!" she cried desperately. At first she thought he was going to refuse, as it was something he did often. But a moment later she heard a roar, and a large shadow passed over them as bits of cloth floated around in the air. A few dazed guards began to regain their feet around them.

"It would appear I arrived a moment too late…" came a dreadfully familiar voice from behind her. She turned her head to see Eldeck walking up to them, the crowd parting away from his chosen path.

"Sire, what do we do with the girl?" the guard holding her left arm asked.

"Take her to the manor. Celedine will want to speak with her anyways," he waved his hand dismissively as he made his way to a soldier injured when Selendrile transformed. The guards holding Alys started to carry her back to the manor, and she struggled. One of the guards hit her to make her hold still, and she couldn't help but whimper a little.

"Serves you right," he scoffed, "This is what happens when you disobey the ruler of Drenn."

Alys' started shaking slightly with fear. Drenn? She had heard of this place…

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Frog: Is it any good so far? Please let me know what you think. I'll answer questions if you have any, and if you have any suggestions or constructive critisim, I'll take that too! I'll try to update whenever I can. Please review. Bye! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the book Dragon's Bait.

Frog: Here I am again. Apparently my cousins found my notebook, but I haven't had a chance to get it from them yet. This chapter's rough draft is written in there too, but I'm just going to wing it. I think I remember the important parts I need to put in. Anyways. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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Alys' mind was filled with horror at what the soldier just said as they came to the manor. Drenn was known for one thing, and one this only, other than it's solitary attitude, disappearences. It was not uncommon for bands of merchants or mercenaries to leave Drenn missing a member or two. Sometimes the entire group would not return. The only group of traders that ever went in and out of there regularly without trouble were hired by the town's ruler, and the only advice they had offered when stopping by Saint Toby's one year was if you ever went there, it was best to mind your own buisness.

She was taken to a room on the third floor, and shoved in the doorway before it was closed behind her. She looked around in awe. It was a sitting room of some sort, she guessed. The windows were large and had translucent yellow and orange curtains that billowed in the soft breeze. The furniture was some of the fanciest she had ever seen, and she saw all sorts of gold and silver knick-knacks arranged on shelves and tables. There was even an incense burner in the corner from which the scent of lilacs came.

"Please do sit," came a soft female voice. Alys quickly turned her attention to a couch near the room's center. A middle-aged woman was lounging on it. Her skin was flawless and shimmered slightly in the filtered sunlight from behind, and her strawberry blonde hair was done up with gold beads and pins. She wore a white cotton dress that resembled the ones on the mural on the wall of greek gods and goddesses. A lady of great wealth in ever respect. The woman gestured to a chair across from her and began to sit up.

Alys was hesitant to sit in something so expensive, almost fearing that her dirty clothes may somehow stain it permanently. But she did so anyways, guessing it might be in her favor if she cooroperated as much as possible right now.

"What's your name?" the noble-woman asked, her voice seeming kind, but Alys could here the cold undertone to it.

"Alys," she answered simply.

"And you are...the dragon's mate?" the woman raised an eyebrow. Alys felt heat creep to her cheeks.

"N-no. We just travel together as friends, but pretend to be married so it won't raise suspicion," she quickly muttered.

"I see..." the lady didn't seem to believe her, "Does _he _know that?"

Alys was sure there was a faint smirk playing on the woman's face, "He's a dragon! I think we would both know if we were married or not!" Alys snapped.

"Hm," was all the lady said, looking almost amused.

"What do you need me here for?" Alys asked, unable to help the worry that crept into her voice.

"Regardless of whether or not you are indeed that dragon's mate," the lady began, Alys tried to object, but stopped when given a firm look that she was to remain silent, "You are of _some _importance to him, and as such, he'll be back for you eventually."

"That'll be the day," Alys mumbled.

"Oh? Why do you underestimate your worth so?" the lady smirked fully this time, "He'll be back, don't worry."

"Why do you want to bring him here, anyways?" Alys asked bitterly.

"Mmm," the woman looked up thoughtfully, "I have my reasons. The sooner he arrives, the sooner you will learn."

Alys glared at her, and she just smirked again as she continued speaking, "Now, to make this easier on all of us, I would very much appreciate it if you would cooroperate with me..."

"I think I'll pass."

"Please don't be difficult," the woman sighed, "I swear, no harm will come to your friend if you do. On my honor."

"And if I don't?" Alys snipped, not caring if she was rude anymore.

"Well...I suppose we'll have to resort to desperate measures then, won't we. Edger!"

The door opened, revealing a distinguished looking older gentleman. Presumably the butler or something of the sort. He made a deep bow, "You called milady?"

"If there is absolutely no sign of the dragon in three days time, I want you to make sure the gallows are ready," his lady stated, looking at Alys with a cruel smirk the entire time. Alys felt her skin grow cold, and her heart skip a beat.

"Of course, milady. As you wish," Edger bowed again, and closed the door.

"Oh don't give me that look," the lady scolded Alys lightly, though it seemed more evilly playful than much else, "You honestly wouldn't expect me to keep you here for weeks on end. I don't have time to deal with a little girl like you."

"Selendrile still won't come!" Alys quickly threatened, "No matter what. I'm not worth anything to him!"

In truth, Alys didn't know how true those words were. But it still hurt her to say them, and she couldn't quite explain why. Still, she kept her gaze steady, as she watched the woman across from her. The lady just smirked.

"Don't worry, little one," she crooned, "He hasn't gone far."

"And how would _you _know," Alys scoffed.

"Call it an...educated guess," she smirked. Just then there was a knock at the door, before it opened, revealing the still heavily cloaked Eldeck.

"Is there a problem, darling?" the lady asked, raising an eyebrow, "I do hope the damage our little guest caused wasn't that bad."

Eldeck shook his head, "We have company. A hunting party just arrived. They saw the dragon take off, and are now requesting we hire them to slay it."

She frowned, "Oh dear. That won't do," she sighed heavily, "Tell them I'll see them after dinner."

"And what are we to say of the girl?" he asked, glancing in her direction, "We can't very well have such a commoner wondering out halls."

"No need to worry, my love," she soothed, standing next to him, "I already have something thought out. Lauren, dear."

The door opened again, and a girl, maybe only fourteen years of age if not younger walked inside with a small curtsy, "Can I help you, Lady Celedine?"

"Would you please prepare a room for my...niece? The inner suite should do perfectly," Celedine instructed.

"Of course, milady," Lauren curtsied again, not looking anyone in the eye, and left.

"Niece?" Alys gave her a skeptical look.

"Don't worry, Lauren knows what to do. She'll come fetch you when the room is ready," Alys continued to look at her strangly and she giggled, "Oh come now. You heard my husbend. For your stay here, I would like you to pretend you are my niece. It's not a hard job, really. And you only have to do it in front of this hunting group."

"And what if I decide not to?" Alys sneered, giving Celedine a challenging glare. The noblewoman just laughed agian.

"Now, now. You seem like a kind hearted girl, despite your attitude," she smirked, "If the hunting party were to find out you were just a common girl, and, skies forbid, your _real _reason for being here, I would have no choice but to...get rid of them."

"You'd actually put people to death just because of me?" Alys swallowed hard.

"I'm not known for my kindness, darling," she murmered, but her voice sent an icy chill down Alys' back. She then turned, taking her husbend's arm and headed for the door before pausing, "Will you be joining us for dinner, Alys?"

"N-no, thank you..." Alys stated shakily.

"Very well. Lauren should be here shortly to take you to your room. And...don't even think about trying to jump out the window. It's much to high, and we wouldn't want you to break a limb," she then gave Alys a look of dismissal, and she and Eldeck left the room.

"What am I going to do?" Alys whispered, leaning over, and covering her face with her hands, "Selendrile..."

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Frog: That's the end of that chapter. I hope you all liked it to some extent. It was a little short, I know. Please review, I love it when people do, and it inspires me to write more often if people seem to like it. Bye! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.

Frog: Ok, here's the next chapter. I don't really have much to say right now. I know this took some time to get up, but I think it's longer than the last one. I hope you all like it.

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Lauren entered the room not long after her lord and lady left. She gave Alys a sympathetic smile, "Your room is ready. Would you like to come see?"

Alys nodded slowly and followed the younger girl down the halls to a room on the second floor. It was beautiful, much like the sitting room. There was a four-poster bed in one corner, and an elegant little table with a couple chairs in the other one. There was also a wardrobe, a vanity, and a velvety couch. A door to the left appeared to lead to a bathroom. However, one of the main features that Alys noticed was that there were no windows.

"I already have a bath ready and waiting for you," Lauren began, "And you may pick any dress from the wardrobe. Her ladyship wants to make sure you look your part."

"O-ok…" Alys swallowed hard, wondering if she could _ever _pass for nobility.

"Will you be needing anything else?" Lauren questioned, smiling again.

"Not right now. Th-thank you," Alys shook her head. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment. The maid nodded in understanding.

"I'll leave you to your bath, then," Lauren curtsied, and left the room.

Alys sighed heavily, and opened the wardrobe. She didn't want anyone to die because of her, so she figured she might as well go along with this…for now. However, most if not all the dresses she could see were far too expensive looking or revealing for her to feel comfortable wearing. Eventually she found an off-white cotton gown with red hems. It had a decent neckline and was one of the more comfortable looking ones. The sleeves would hug her arms until it reached her elbows and then would hang loosely from her wrists. The top was form fitting, but not tight, and then fanned out elegantly at her hips.

She took the dress and went into the bathroom where her nose was immediately greeted by the scent of soft perfume. She soon concluded it was coming from the water, and carefully undressed. She bathed quickly, not sure how much time she had, and still feeling like a dirt rag compared to the magnificent building she was going to be staying in until her death.

Alys sighed heavily as she dried herself off, and began putting on the dress. It just seemed so off to her that she was supposed to be acting like this woman's family, and yet Lady Celedine was going to execute her in just three days. Selendrile would never come. She was surer of that than anything else. Although somehow the woman's words still hung in her mind.

"_He hasn't gone far."_

"Ma'am? Are you finished?" Lauren's voice floated in from the other side of the door.

"Yes," she called back dully, walking out of the bathroom. The maid smiled brightly at her when she entered.

"Excellent choice. That dress fits you perfectly. Would you like me to help you with your hair?"

"Um…" Alys eyed the gold brush sitting innocently on the vanity with caution, "I'm pretty sure I can do it myself…"

"Oh nonsense," Lauren scolded as though she were older than Alys, "There's a difference between _brushing _your hair and _doing _it. I won't do anything too fantastic, I promise."

"O-ok," Alys murmured with uncertainty as she seated herself on the bench in front of the jewel-embellished mirror. Lauren smiled happily, and took the brush. She was very gentle with Alys' messy hair (which had grown almost to her shoulders since Selendrile cut it). The younger girl then took some strands from the sides of her face and pulled them back in a braid with some red ribbon. She then twirled the braid into a bun, and set it with some short gold pins.

"There! Now we can see you pretty face!" Lauren was absolutely beaming with pride, and Alys couldn't help but smile back a little this time.

"What are you looking for?" she asked curiously when the younger girl began fumbling around in one of the drawers.

"Just a little bit of make-up. You don't need much, but you should have some," she stated simply, pulling out some small jars. This was something Alys had no experience with, so she let Lauren do it. She got some pinkish powder dusted lightly on her cheeks, and some other strange pink stuff on her lips that made them shine a bit. Then there was some black stuff Lauren called kohl that was put around her eyes in a thin line.

"Well? What do you think?" Lauren asked brightly, turning Alys back toward the mirror. Alys stared at herself for a moment. She didn't look all that different, and yet…she did. She almost dared call the girl in the mirror beautiful, a word she had never really thought of applying to herself until now. She almost felt undeserving of her appearance.

"Oh, and her ladyship wishes for you to have this," Lauren pulled a gold chain out of her pocket, and handed it to her. Alys stared at the necklace in wonder as her eyes landed on its pendant. It was circular like a gold coin, but there was an engraving as a dragon curled up on its surface. Lauren helped her put it on. Both of them looked up when they heard a knock.

"Come in," Lauren called politely. The door opened showing the stiff form of Edgar. His eyes were instantly on Alys.

"Her ladyship requests your presence in her office. If you are ready, please follow me," he stated as professionally as ever.

Alys nodded, glancing at Lauren who gave her a reassuring smile once more, before standing up, and following Edgar out and down the hall. She was very grateful that Lauren hadn't forced her to wear high heels, and had instead given her a pair of comfortable off-white slippers. Selendrile had made her wear those other uncomfortable shoes once. It hadn't ended so well, though he seemed to find it funny.

They went upstairs again, this time to another, smaller room. There were two windows with think curtains on the back wall, and bookshelves lined the others. A complicated tapestry hung over the doorway, though Alys could barely see it from where she stood. A large wooden desk sat near the back with some chair placed randomly in front of it, and an iron chandelier hung in the room's center. Eldeck was sitting at the desk, scribbling away on a piece of paper as his wife leaned over him to read it, her hands placed gently on his shoulders.

"You may sit there, Alys," Celedine directed, not looking up. Alys went to the small couch she had indicated in the back corner behind the desk. She wasn't sure why she was here, but decided it was better not to ask at the moment.

"Shall I bring them in?" Edgar asked after a moment.

She looked up this time, "That would be fine."

She stood up straight, her hands lightly massaging her husband's shoulders. Eldeck put the paper aside, and rested his elbows on the desk. He was still wearing his heavy cloak, despite the room's warm temperature.

A few minutes later, six rougher looking men entered the room. They all bowed respectfully, and two of them took the chairs in front of the desk.

"Thank you for your time, milady," the older man smiled. Celedine just nodded in acknowledgment, so he continued, "I am Devin, and this is my son, Oliver."

"A pleasure to meet you," Celedine murmured, though her voice remained cold and detached, "I am assuming you know who my husband and I are," she gestured to Alys momentarily, "And this is my niece, Alys."

"We are very pleased to meet you," Devin smiled warmly.

"Now. To business," Eldeck sighed, his voice sounding tired, "Please tell us _exactly _what your proposition is."

"Well you see, on our way here, we saw a golden dragon flying toward the mountains not far from here. It is no doubt, going to make its home there, if it hasn't already," he explained, "Since we are planning to rest here a few days anyways, we were thinking we could take care of this problem for you before it gets worse. We are not asking for any pay either. We would just like to take some items as proof of our slaying it."

Celedine lowered her head and closed her eyes in thought for a moment, before looking up at him again, "I'm afraid we must decline your offer."

"But milady, that creature will…" she raised her hand, silencing him.

"Why make an enemy when you could make a friend?" she asked, that hint of a smirk sneaking onto her face.

"M-milady?" the hunters all gave her questioning looks, so she continued.

"And why should we risk sending fine gentlemen such as yourselves to your death? When instead we could make this dragon our ally?"

Edgar nodded from by the door, "Our town has benefited greatly in the past from similar arrangements."

"Indeed," Celedine gave them a reassuring smile, though to Alys it didn't seem sincere, "My apologies, but your services are not needed. I ask that you not interfere with the dragon in any way shape or form."

"Yes milady," Devin nodded, looking dejected. Edgar led them out of the room, and the door closed.

"So…you want to…_befriend_ Selendrile?" Alys raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Of course. Peace is always the best option if it can be obtained," Eldeck smirked. But Alys had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't being told everything.

"And yet you're holding me captive, bore weapons against Selendrile, and you plan to kill me if he doesn't show up."

Celedine chuckled deeply, causing Alys to shiver. She then sauntered over to her, and delicately cupped her chin, and forced Alys to look her in the eye.

"My dear child, you don't know me very well, do you? Well then, this is all you need to know. I am not known for charity, but rather for ruthlessness," her grip on Alys' chin tightened painfully, though her face remained emotionless, "If you dragon friend does not wish to show himself you _will _die. And if that happens and your friend turns hostile…I cannot make any promises that I won't hire someone to slay him in the future. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Alys gulped. Celedine's dark eyes flickered strangely, and she let go of her. Eldeck was giving his wife a slightly confused look, but just shook his head.

"You may go," he stated, standing up, and turning to Celedine.

Alys nodded shakily, and hurried away. She could feel the noblewoman's cold, hard gaze following her until the door closed. All Alys could do was stand outside the door, panting.

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Frog: The endings of these chapters always seem so angsty. Oh well. Celedine has her reasons for treating Alys cruelly, but that will be explained later. Please review! I love to hear from you people! Bye! 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Need we really do this? I don't own anything from the book Dragon's Bait.

Frog: Quicker update. But I can't help myself when someone asks nicely. Though I still have some other stories I need to write.

_Dragon Missy: _Thanks for the idea! It never really crossed my mind, so I put it in this chapter.

Frog: This chapter may seem a bit short, but I hope you all like it.

* * *

Alys sat at the table in her room, picking at the food in front of her. She sighed heavily, and pushed the plate away so that she could lay her head on the table. Lauren looked up from making the bed, and frowned. 

"Please eat something, miss," she murmured pleadingly, "I know you're upset, but you simply _must _have something."

"I don't see why," Alys muttered tiredly, "If I'm going to die anyways..."

"Oh don't be like that," Lauren spoke softly, "Everything's going to be ok."

The young maid walked over, and put a reassuring hand on Alys' shoulder. Finally, Alys began to cry. She was terrified, and more than anything she wished Selendrile were here. To be amused by her tears if nothing else, causing her to stop and be too busy being mad at him to worry about crying. But he wasn't here. And she knew he would never be there for her again.

"Tsk. And to think I saw you as such a brave girl just yesterday," came that dreadfully familiar voice from the doorway. Lauren and Alys both jumbed, neither having heard the door open.

"Milady," Lauren quickly bowed to show her respect. Celedine nodded at her, her eyes softening briefly.

"You're going to _kill _me!" Alys nearly shouted defensively, "I think I have a right to shed some tears."

"Perhaps," Celedine spoke softly, her eyes drifting to the plate of untouched food, "And you're starving yourself?"

"I'm going to die anyways," Alys repeated, slumping in her chair.

"That's a shame," the noblewoman crossed her arms, "As I understand it, Lauren got up early and put quite a bit of effort into making that for you, so that you might feel a little better."

"It's alright ma'am," Lauren shook her head.

"Hm," was her only response, "Lauren would you please come with me? I have an errand I'd like you to run."

"Of course milady," Lauren bowed, gave Alys a quick grin, and followed her liege out the door."

Alys lifted her had, and stared at the food. She _was _pretty hungry. Maybe it wouldn't hurt just to have a few bites. She did need to stay somewhat sharp, to make sure she didn't cave in if Celedine tried to get her to be more helpful again. So she began eating.

Soon she had finished the plate, and was feeling quite satisfied. She was unsure what to do with the plate so she decided to just leave it there for now. She then went out into the halls in search of Lauren, to apologize for her behavior earlier.

However, she didn't know her way around, and none of the guards she passed were interested in helping her. Eventually, she found herself on the third floor again (she wasn't permitted on the first), and walked by the sitting room she had first met Lady Celedine in. Eldeck's voice coming from the inside caught her attention, though she didn't hear what was said. She paused, taking a step closer to the door.

"The answer is this," came Celedine's response to whatever her husband had asked, "I'm quite simply not sure if I approve of...Alys dear. Please don't eavesdrop, I despise it so."

Alys gulped, and entered the room. Celedine was glaring at her, while Eldeck was seated comfortably on the couch with an amused smirk.

"Loosing our touch, are we?" he chuckled softly, "It used to be that you would know who was coming down the hall before they even came up the stairs from behind a locked door."

Celedine's glare quickly turned on her husband, "Well maybe if you weren't so infuriatingly _dense_, I would be able to pay more attention to my surroundings."

Eldeck just chuckled softly once more, shaking his head, completely unconcerned with his wife's glare. For the first time, Alys actually felt a little more comfortable around him now that he wasn't acting all superior to everyone. He actually seemed almost normal. Though there was still something about the way her laughed that was unnerving to her.

"What is it you don't approve of?" Alys asked out of pure curiosity. It seemed to her that it must be of some importance if Celedine would stop mid-sentence after realizing she was there. Of course, she shouldn't have been trying to listen in anyways.

"It's a small matter that you needn't be concerned with," Celedine replied cooly. Eldeck rolled his eyes, still smirking slightly.

"Well if it's not important, why can't you tell me?" Alys pressed, knowing that something was being hidden from her, and wanting to know what. She knew her chances of being told were slim, but once again, if she was going to be dead in a few days regardless of what she did, it shouldn't matter if she learned a few things she wasn't supposed to.

The noblewoman raised an eyebrow at her, "Getting a little bold now, are we?"

"I'm just curious," Alys shrugged. A flicker of a grin crossed over the older woman's face.

"Alright, you caught me. We were indeed talking about you. I suppose it must have been obvious to a dragon's traveling companion though. However, the exact subject is something you will have to wait until later to find out."

"You mean I'll find out at the noose?" Alys sighed, crossing her arms. Celedine's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Perhaps," she murmured, walking over to the window, and looking outside, "You know...I haven't completely made up my mind yet. You still have opportunity to cooperate if you value your life."

"I don't think so," Alys couldn't help that her voice suddenly turned dark, "Besides, it wouldn't matter if I helped out or not. He won't come."

"We'll see," Celedine's voice was scarcely above a whisper.

* * *

meanwhile: 

A golden dragon paced back and forth on a rocky ledge in the mountains high above the small town. Every so often he would look back down the slopes and growl. How dare they keep Alys there so long. And how dare she not try to escape. What was going on down there?

Selendrile hissed impatiently. He was getting restless here. He wasn't wasn't used to staying in one place for so long. Especially over something as admittedly silly as a human.

The golden dragon finally laid down, resting his head on his forearms. Despite all his irritation, every moment Alys remained in that city his worry grew. Perhaps he should have stayed when Alys told him to go. Maybe he should have gone back for her by now. He closed his eyes and let out a slow, heavy breath. She was really the only thing in his life that he considered to be completely his. He hadn't even felt this possessive of his hoard before in the short time he had attempted to keep one before getting bored.

He growled slightly, and shifted. He knew why, and it annoyed him. He had been around Alys long enough now that he had begun to bond with her. Now to humans, this would seem normal. Friends always shared some kind of bond. But to dragons, a bond was not merely friendship. It was much more intimate than that. Ultimately, a bond would lead to a dragon choosing their mate for life. In fact, he and Alys were pretty much all but that according to his emotions. But he still didn't understand humans very well, and had no idea how they chose their mates. So he hadn't made any attempt to officially court her yet. Sometimes he almost wished she didn't know he was a dragon, just to see if she would respond to him the way most human girls did. Something which, he had to admit, he would hardly mind. He especially enjoyed pretending to be her mate.

Again he stood, and looked down at the town. He noticed some humans pulling what looked like a large wooden platform out into an open field between where he was and where Alys was. It was difficult to make out exactly what the contraption was from here, even with his superior eyesight. He saw them take some other planks of wood and begin to build something on top of it. It was after sunset when they had finished, so Selendrile decided to take a closer look.

He transformed into a small bird, and flitted down to the now abandoned wooden object. A rope tied with a loop at the end hung from a plank above, and swung back and forth almost menacingly in the faint breeze. Selendrile knew he had seen one of these before, but couldn't remember what it's purpose was. Ruffling his feathers, he gave up on trying to solve his puzzle, and once again turned his attention to the town.

For a moment, he debated on flying inside and searching for Alys. However, he had no idea how much these people knew about dragons, and as such, if they would recognize him even in his bird form. He eventually decided to return to the mountain again, instead of risking getting captured. It was a difficult choice, but he knew it was a better idea to wait until Alys was allowed to go free. His bond with her was strong enough that he would be able to sense if she were in any real danger at the moment, and he knew she wasn't.

Still, Selendrile was on edge. It had started not long after he left Alys alone, and had gotten worse when he saw that bizarre device in the meadow. Something was happening behind those walls. Something that was threatening _his _Alys. And whatever it was had better have a good reason (though he could think of none that were good enough). They were dealing with a golden dragon. Few winged lizards were more protective of those they cared about most. And the moment Alys was back in his protection, they were going to feel his wrath.

* * *

Frog: Hm. Not sure how the Selendrile part turned out. I don't think he's as in character as he could have been. Oh well, I do hope you all liked it anyways. If anyone has any other suggestions for something I could put in, I would very much appreciate it. The next chapter is probably going to take place the day before Alys' execution. And no, Selendrile doesn't come to rescue her prior. That's not dramatic enough. Please review! I love reviews. Bye! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If it doesn't belong to me, and I didn't create it, then it obviously isn't mine.

Frog: I really should be updating my other story, but this is the notebook I have present and the moment, so I'm typing up this one. I don't have much to say right now though.

_Dragon Missy_—Well I kind of attempted to explain the reason Selendrile isn't doing anything in this chapter. Though I don't know how well it worked. Also, their weapons when he tried to escape, though it did not happen could have possibly injured him, I think he would be smart enough not to risk it. I say more about it later. And Eldeck does love Celedine, but they just have an…interesting relationship. I tried to put that better in this chapter too. And on a final note (I may have misunderstood what you said by the way), but the reason Selendrile didn't make the connection with the noose, is because he doesn't yet know it's intended for Alys. 

_mango pie—_You'll find out how they knew he was a dragon later. All I shall say is that they have some experience with supernatural creatures as hinted in chapter 3.

_dark darce--_I'm still here, and I've never yet quit on a story though updates are sometimes far apart. Please forgive me. I'm writing so many things at once (my bad, I know), and then there's school and whatever else my parents have me do. I'm not dropping this story, so don't worry.

Frog: And here's the chapter. I think this one is a bit longer than the others.

* * *

"Lady Celedine?" Alys began nervously, as she entered the sitting room. The older woman was standing by the window, her back to the door. 

"Do you need something Alys?" she asked, almost sounding weary, and completely unmoving. Alys quickly crossed the room, and stood a few steps behind her.

"Well…I was wondering…since my execution is tomorrow and all, could you _please_ tell me what you want with Selendrile?" she almost pleaded. She had to know that her friend would be safe after her death. Of course, she kept telling herself that he was long gone, but a small part of her mind was saying otherwise.

The older woman smirked slightly, "And ruin the surprise?" she turned her head a little to look at her, "You'll find out when he arrives."

"He's _not _coming! How many times do I have to tell you that!" Alys snapped angrily. Celedine didn't seem to be paying her much attention.

"Is that what you _truly _believe? Or is it what you _want _to believe?" the noblewoman questioned, "Humans and the other beings of this world are not so different as you might think."

"Have you even _met _a dragon before?" Alys asked skeptically, "We're hardly alike."

"Are we?" Celedine gave her a look she could not read before walking to another part of the room where Alys couldn't see her.

Alys just shook her head, and looked out the window. A thought was beginning to dawn on her. Selendrile had saved her once before…would he save her again? Now that she thought about it, she didn't find Selendrile cruel enough to stand by while she got hanged. Assuming he was still in the area of course.

That sent a chill of fear down her spine. What was Celedine going to do with him? She could think of so many things, but she had no way of knowing which, if any, were true. If only that infuriating woman would at least give her a hint.

"Here," Alys was startled out of her thoughts when the noblewoman returned, and handed her a glass of red liquid. She eyed it warily.

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Juice of a foreign fruit," Celedine waved her hand dismissively and took a sip from her own glass, "There's no alcohol if that's what you were worried about."

Alys took a hesitant gulp, and almost spit it back out it was so sour. The older woman just chuckled.

"No thanks," Alys wrinkled her nose and handed the glass back. Celedine simply nodded in understanding, and set it on a nearby piece of furniture.

"What are you suddenly being nice to me?" Alys asked after they were quiet for a moment.

"To be perfectly honest, little one, I would really rather not. But…" her voice faded to silence briefly as she stared out the window and she sighed, "It is not…my decision to make, and I will attempt to change what has already been decided…"

"What in the world are you talking about? Why can't you just give a straight answer for once, and not dance around every question I ask?" Alys snapped angrily. She hated it when people (and dragons, admittedly) treated her like this. And being called _"little one"_ wasn't helping either.

"Patience child," she murmured, turning back to the window, "You will receive your answers soon enough."

Alys couldn't get any more words to come out of her mouth she was so frustrated and angry. So she turned abruptly, and stormed out of the room. The door slammed shut and she made her way to the room she was staying in.

"Miss?" Lauren's worried voice caused her to stop. She turned to see the maid holding some folded laundry in an intersecting hallway.

"It's nothing," Alys mumbled quickly.

"Is there anything I can get for you that would help you feel better?" the younger girl offered.

"No Lauren," she sighed, trying to be patient with the only person who seemed to care at all about her.

"Please? It's no trouble for me," Lauren smiled reassuringly, "Just let me drop these off, and then we can talk over some hot cocoa. Does that sound good?"

Alys sighed heavily, but there was a small smile on her lips, "If you insist."

The other girl's face brightened a little more, and she hurried off to take care of her chores as Alys returned to her room. She felt a bit more at peace now. It was good to know she had a friend here.

* * *

Meanwhile:

Celedine stood before the window, still sipping her drink as she watched her people with fondness. They had never ceased to surprise her. The door behind her opened again, and a tall figure walked up to her side. She smirked slightly.

"I have never known you to announce your presence when you enter a room," she purred, turning slightly to face her husband, "That's not very polite."

"Have I ever cared?" he sighed, smiling momentarily before his expression turned more serious, "Did it go well?"

Celedine turned back to the window with a bitter expression, "I don't think I'll _ever _come to like that girl."

Eldeck chortled, "You are too proud for your own good sometimes," he muttered, "You can't stand it when people don't do as you say."

"And you're different than that?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well…I do a better job of hiding it. And this is and issue I never cared for to start with," he sighed, raising his hands over his head as he stretched. His heavy cloak slid open as a result, and Celedine gave him a look of amusement.

"And how are we to explain this to Alys if she were to walk in here suddenly?" she questioned as she brushed her hand against one of the metal-like objects his cloak was meant to conceal.

Eldeck groaned as he situated the heavy garment around him once more, and complained, "It's uncomfortable."

"I know darling," Celedine sighed sympathetically, "It's only for another day or so."

He just grumbled something, and looked longingly out the window. His wife sighed again, and leaned against his arm.

"I apologize. I know you prefer the open air," she murmured.

"I still wonder why you wanted to live this kind of life," his eyes were intense as he turned his gaze to her, "It never used to be your nature either. To be cooped up indoors."

She chuckled dryly, "I suppose I've just been doing this for too long…" she looked down in thought, "I don't see why you're complaining, though. This lifestyle does have its perks."

He smirked, "True. I have always enjoyed power. It just isn't what I would have ever thought our life would be," he looked out the window again, and shook his head, "You and your strange schemes…"

"The only reason you don't understand them is that you are too thick-headed to learn new things," Celedine scoffed, "I can only think it to be a male thing."

They remained quiet for a few moments after that. It was starting to get late, and the summer sky was painted every shade of orange imaginable as the sun neared the mountains.

"She's a brave girl. I'll giver her that much," the noblewoman muttered, "And surprisingly clever at times. Though I suppose she doesn't really know any better…"

"I would imagine…she would still be brave, even if she _did _know better," Eldeck pointed out.

"That may be…" she crossed her arms, "She is such a foolish girl."

"I wouldn't say she's foolish," her husband mused, "Just stubborn…Like someone else I know."

She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, but he just grinned back.

* * *

Meanwhile:

"Do you want to wear something special tomorrow?" Lauren asked as she opened the dresser in the room Alys was staying in. Alys looked up from her hot cocoa.

"Why? I don't see the point of looking pretty for my own funeral," she snorted indignantly.

"What about looking pretty for your husband when he comes to rescue you?" the girl smiled brightly.

Alys paled, "I'm _not _married to him!!"

Lauren looked confused, "Fiancé then?"

"No! I am not romantically involved with Selendrile in any way, shape, or form!" Alys tried to explain. But she was beginning to think that all these people must be a tad dense.

"Her ladyship says you are."

"And how would that pompous snob even know? Has she even _seen _a dragon before?" Alys challenged.

Lauren was shocked that she had dared use such words to describe her liege, but said nothing of it and just shook her head, "Her ladyship is very wise and knows much more about the world than we do. I'm sure there is some reason for her…remarks."

"I don't think so," Alys muttered, taking another sip of her cocoa. It was much more preferable than the juice Celedine had her try earlier. The younger girl, meanwhile, had returned to sorting through the dresses.

"Here it is! How about this one?" she asked excitedly, causing Alys to jump slightly. The older girl sighed tiredly, and walked over to the dresser to inspect it.

Her eyes widened, "When did this get put in here?"

"Her ladyship requested it. She said it would be perfect for tomorrow," Lauren smiled.

The slender gown almost looked like it could be used as a piece of armor. Golden scales covered the strong fabric they hung from completely. Every time the dress moved, they clinked together, creating an almost magical sound. Alys let out a shaky breath as she lightly touched it. With the exception of most of them being larger, the scales looked very much like Selendrile's.

"Where did these come from?" she asked breathily, as awed by the dresses beauty as she was terrified by it.

"From the treasury I believe," Lauren mused, also enchanted by the sparkling scales.

"And..." Alys swallowed hard, "Th-their previous owner?"

"Is still alive," the younger girl reassured, with a knowing smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I wouldn't lie to you miss."

"I-I know," Alys murmured shakily, "It's just...nerve-wracking to see this...and this is what Celedine wants me to wear?"

"I'm sure she would not force you if you were opposed to it," Lauren murmured softly.

"I-I'll have to think about it for now," Alys sighed.

She was very surprised when her companion pulled her into a warm hug, "It will be alright. You won't die for you have done nothing to deserve it."

"Then why am I going to be executed?"

"I will admit, her ladyship uses...erm..._interesting_ means to get what she wants," the maid explained, "She has nothing to gain from killing you."

"Other than to just be rid of me. I know too much to just be let go, don't I?" Alys questioned, for the first time really thinking about what motives Celedine would have to actually go through with killing her other than to get rid of some unneeded luggage. She was, after all (or at least as far as she knew), only being used to bait Selendrile.

Lauren's eyes sparkled a little, making Alys feel as though she were being left out of some big joke, "You may not know as much as you think.'

"Huh?"

"I must be getting back to my chores," the younger girl smiled at her, "Sleep well, miss Alys."

And with that, she walked out of the room. Alys looked at the shimmering gown in her hands and sighed. She then set the dress down over a chair and started getting ready for bed.

* * *

Meanwhile:

Selendrile was curled up on his mountain ledge, glowering at the town once again. He dared not move much, knowing that he might not be able to stop himself if he made the smallest step toward the irritating place he might not be able to stop.

He knew they had iron weapons, and seemed to know how to deal with his kind. He had not idea which building Alys was in, though he could probably make a few good guesses. Just the same, fire was difficult to control, and he wouldn't want her trapped in a house he had set alight.

Finally the golden dragon had to turn around so that he wouldn't have to look at the frustrating place an longer. His side rubbed against a large boulder, and a few glimmering scales came loose and fell to the ground. He stared at them for a moment, getting even more upset that he was allowing this to affect him so much.

Few species of dragon naturally molted. Scales were lost either from scuffles or from intense physical/emotional stress. Female dragons were more subject to loosing scales because of the stresses of breeding. Particularly when their mate was much larger than them or when they had a large clutch of eggs that were near hatching or were newborns.

It was a bit...embarrassing to be loosing his scales so easily. All the more reason to attack the town, and calm down a little. But every time he seriously thought about it, a since of dread came over him. Almost as though there was a predator lieing in wait for him to loose his patience. more disturbing still, was that it was almost a familiar feeling. As though he had encountered this same threat before.

His thoughts then turned to Alys. Why wasn't she escaping? Couldn't that girl do anything for herself! Humans were such helpless creatures.

He closed his eyes, once again, attempting to calm down and avoid making rash decisions. He had been sensing distress coming from her a lot today. And he wasn't sure he trusted her own kind with her, as humans were evilly selfish creatures. He was far to proud to admit that dragons were sometimes the same way.

Eventually, he gave into his restlessness, and turned himself into an owl. He flew silently from his retreat to some nearby pastures full of sheep. The shepards taking care of them were chatting quietly and only gave him an unconcerned glance when he perched above there heads.

"So there's goin' to be a hangin' in the morning?" one of them nodded, his voice holding a strong accent, "What fool upset the Lady this time?"

"Not sure what they've done," the other began in response, "But I hear she arrived only days ago. The folks in town were sayin' it was something about her knowin' a dragon."

"Another one?" the first shepard raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yep. No idea if it's friendly yet though. I wonder what the Lady will do about it."

"Well I'm not all that worried," his companion leaned back with a sigh, "I do feel sorry for the poor lass, though."

"Aye..." the other man muttered, "I don't think I'll be attendin' the event."

Selendrile quickly flew away, not caring to hear whatever else the two had to say. Alys was to be executed? He felt his blood boil as he passed over the gallows once more. For a moment, he considered turning into a dragon and burning them down. No, that was not suitable enough. He would wait until tomorrow when the people responsible for this unjust act were present. Then he would have his peace. Once blood had stained the golden grasses of summer.

* * *

Frog: Next chapter is a really big chapter. a lot happens, and it might be longer than this one even. Or maybe not. So please be patient with me, as it will take a bit of time to write. And hopefully all your questions will be answered. Anyways, please review! I love hearing from you guys! Bye! 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: It's kind of sad. I have more drive to write this story than my others. I really need to update my other stories. Oh well. I tried to make this chapter longer, but I had to cut it short to make it more interesting. I hope you guys don't mind too much. A lot happens in this chapter.

_Devania:_ Maybe….

_merlyn: _Thanks, I appreciate your advice. There isn't any scene switching in this chapter, but I'll keep it in mind for future ones.

* * *

When morning came, Alys wasn't sure she had the willpower to get out of bed. It just seemed so pointless. No. She couldn't become weak. Celedine was to get absolutely _no _satisfaction out of today other than to see her hang. She would not cry, she would not be afraid, and she would not bend.

She took a bath, and brushed her hair before putting on the golden dress. She stared at herself in the mirror. The gown's gold scales tinkled and shimmered constantly. It was almost soothing. Though she wasn't sure what had actually prompted her to wear this thing, but it was on now.

She spent the rest of the day in her room, feeling a bit embarrassed to wander around in this dress. A maid she didn't know came in twice, bringing her breakfast and lunch, which she hardly touched until hunger conquered stubbornness. She preoccupied herself with in every way possible. Even creating a work of art on the mirror with the makeup in the drawers. Still, no matter how hard she tried, her impending death hung like a vile shadow in the back of her mind.

She had no idea how much time had passed when a knock was heard at her door. She opened it to see Edgar and two armed guards. All of them appeared a bit surprised by her garments, but they quickly shook it off.

"It is time to go, miss Alys," Edgar stated, his voice completely monotone. She just nodded and closed the door behind her. She fell into step after him with the shafts of the guards' spears crossed behind her back.

They went down the stairs to the entry hall on the first floor, where Celedine stood waiting. Lauren was there as well, holding a bundle of some sort in her arms. There were a couple more guards, but she noted that Eldeck was nowhere to be seen.

"Milady," another man entered the building with a concerned expression etched on his face, "The hunting party is not at the inn. The innkeeper suspects that they have been hunting the dragon against your orders."

"The things men will do for fame," Celedine shook her head with a sigh, "I'm not surprised. So long as they do not interfere, they will live another day. Go tell the men to keep a lookout just the same."

"As you wish," the man bowed and hurried away.

"Are you ready to go my lovely _niece_?" the noblewoman asked, a faint smirk floating about her lips.

Alys glared at her, "Yes _aunty_. I've been waiting all day. I've been dieing to do this for days now."

Lauren shifted uncomfortably as Celedine's smirk grew, "Then we should not keep you waiting any longer. I only hope your fiancé is not late."

"He will be," Alys muttered as their procession started, and they walked outside.

The small group started its way down Drenn's streets. The warm air of the summer afternoon seemed to make it hazy almost. The people they passed all stopped whatever they were doing, and stared; primarily at Alys. Some even joined their group, chattering excitedly amongst themselves as they tried to find out why this was happening.

Soon they left the city gates, and stared toward a level meadow. Alys felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw the gallows, and willed herself not to tremble. Somewhere behind her, a drum started playing.

She was silently commanded to stop at the stairs to the noose. There were already some people gathered here, and adding the townsfolk that had joined the march, there was a pretty decent sized crowd. Celedine and Lauren went to the other side where Alys would be facing.

The executioner beckoned for her to step onto the stand, offering her his hand to help her, which she bluntly refused. He tied her hands behind her with a bit of rope, and she stepped up to the noose, which he carefully put around her neck.

Alys gave Celedine a defiant look. She refused to show her fear, even though her stomach churned, and her eyes were burning with the tears she desperately wanted to cry. The noblewoman's face was expressionless as she mouthed the words _"He'll come"_ again. Alys almost rolled her eyes.

The drum started beating faster, and the executioner reached for the lever. Alys prayed silently that it would be quick.

Then she heard a thundering roar…

Some people screamed as the gold dragon landed in their midst, and blew fire over their heads. He wasn't trying to kill them yet. Not until Alys was safe. Speaking of the human girl, all she could do was gape. _He really did come..._

Selendrile roared again, seeming to glared at the exectutioner, warning him that if he dared pull that lever his death would not be quick. However, he suddenly uttered another cry. This time in pain. To Alys' horror, he turned ever so slightly, revealing a spear sticking out of his side and a few arrows in his forarm. He stumbled a bit, and the hunting party from before started charging out of the nearby forest.

"Do not worry your ladyship. We have everything under control," Oliver called as his group started to face off with a deteriorating Selendrile.

"I believe I told you to _not _interfere!" Celedine hissed loudly. For the first time, she actually looked infuriated.

"But..."

"SILENCE!!!!" the noblewoman's tone was dark as her expression, "See what happens to those that defy me!"

Somehow, over the excited den, Alys managed to hear some of the guards commanding people to back up, creating a large space around Celedine. The noblewoman's eyes were filled with anger, and for the first time Alys noticed they were...a deep violet in color.

_"Our town has benefited greatly in the past from similar arrangements" _Edgar's words from a few days ago echoed in her mind. She cursed herself for not realizing this sooner.

A moment later, where Celedine had stood now a golden dragon with a mane the color of blood coated gold towered. A resonating roar filled the valley, and she hissed at the hunting party who were all too stunned to react. Celedine positioned herself between Selendrile and the group.

And if that weren't enough, another growl was heard. A breath later, another dragon landed from where it had flown in from the mountains. This one with bronze scales and large, sharp teeth. Celedine was notciably bigger than Selendrile, but this dragon was over twice her size. Eldeck, Alys could only guess. He started making short work of the human fortune-seekers.

She shrieked when the floor beneath her suddenly gave way as the trap door opened. She hit the ground below with a thud, and layed their panting. The rope had come down with her, and hadn't tightened at all. She was never meant to actually hang.

She felt someone behind her cutting the rope that bound her hands, and then removed the noose from her neck. Alys sat up, still breathing heavily, and saw Lauren kneeling by her side. She was holding a small knife, and was grinning from ear to ear.

"I told you," she teased, slipping the knife into a small scabbard.

They heard a loud thump outside, and a tail came crashing through the wood above them, knocking Alys out cold.

The next thing she was aware of was Lauren's worried face looking down at her. The young maid seemed relieved to see her regain consciousness, and grinned.

"Is she awake?" Edgar questioned, walking over. He noticed Alys' open eyes, and managed a slight smile himself, "That was quiet a blow. You must forgive his lordship. It is...difficult for him to turn tightly."

"No kidding," Alys muttered, rubbing the back of her head as she sat up. Looking around, she realized that the sun was beginning to set, and the crowd of people was gone. The gallows were wrecked (curtesy of Eldeck's tail), and much of the surrounding grass was trambled and in some places stained with drops of dried blood on its blades. Selendrile was laying behind her, not far away, but there was no sign of the other two dragons that she could see.

Alys staggered to her feet, and then knelt by his side, "Is he alright?"

"We are guessing that the weapons had some powdered iron on them. It won't kill him, but he may be a little under the weather for a day or so," Edgar explained.

"He should awaken soon, though," Celedine's cool voice caused Alys to jump. The dragon woman stepped out from behind Selendrile, her unbound strawberry blonde hair hanging to her waist. She had a blanket wrapped around her as well.

Alys glared at her, "You are very shrewd," she spoke with bitter coldness.

"I know," the noblewoman (dragon, whatever) chuckled, almost proudly as she knelt on the other side of Selendrile. She looked to the mountains, and, seeing the sun had set, placed a hand on his forhead. He started shifting to his human form, despite the fact that he was still unconscious. Lauren quickly unfolded another blanket from her bundle, and covered him.

Alys stared at Celedine in shock, "How did you..."

"My magic is completely mature, unlike his. Therefore, I can...control his to some extent," she paused, "It won't be much longer though. Until he's full grown..."

"Ah," Alys glanced down at him, and absently brushed a few strands of blonde hair from his face. She was completely unaware of the amused look Celedine was giving her.

"Edgar, Lauren," the dragoness (is that what she would be called?) turned to her servants suddenly, "Go on ahead back to the manor. We will join you as soon as he gets the strength to walk."

"That could be hours away," Edgar protested, and yet he still sounded amazingly polite, "It is no trouble for me to carry him back now."

He liege shook her head, "Do not underestimate him. He's not a human, remember. However, if he _does _need to be carried, I can always fetch Eldeck. He won't have gone too far. He only wanted to stretch his wings."

"As you wish milady," the butler bowed," My apologies."

"It's fine," she waved her hand dismissivly and he turned to leave.

"Shall I prepare a room for him to stay in?" Lauren offered.

"That would be lovely. Just make sure the window is big enough for him if he needs to get out in the morning," Celedine nodded, smiled softly. The maid curtsied and hurried off after Edgar.

The two that remained were very quiet after that for several seemingly endless minutes. Alys finally tired of the awkward silence and sighed. There was a question that was bugging her anyways.

"Do you and Selendrile know each other?" she cocked her head.

Celedine paused, as though debating what to tell her. Something that remeinded the human girl of her companion quite a bit. The dragoness was about to respond when Selendrile stirred.

His eyes opened, and he froze, trying to remember what had happened. As his senses came back to him, his eyes drifted upward to see Alys' surprised expression.

"Alys?" he managed to breath, though his voice sounded a bit raspy. Her lips curved into a small smile, "Are you feeling ok?" she asked hopefully, again moving some stray strands of hair from his eyes.

He blinked a few times as his mind began to registure that he was indeed feeling an uncomfortable amount of pain, so he answered with a blunt, "Not really." He blinked again as his eyes fell on her gown, "Where did you get those?"

Alys glanced at the glimmering scales, holding one between her fingers. She then looked across at Celedine, "I think they're hers."

Selendrile jerked a little, having not realized that there had been someone behind him, and sat up. He stared at the dragoness with wide eyes.

"Indeed they are," Celedine smirked in response to Alys' comment. She then turned her almost mocking gaze on Selendrile, "It's been quite some time. I'm glad to see you in good health...more or less."

He still looked like he had seen a ghost (though Alys wasn't sure if dragon's were even afraid of ghosts).

"S-s-sister?" he finally stuttered.

* * *

Frog: Hm. Well that's longer than I though it would be. But still shorter than the last chapter. I do hope you all won't be mad at me for the semi-cliffhanger. Please review! I love knowing what you guys think! Bye! 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Selendrile, Alys, and anything else from the book Dragon's Bait aren't mine.

Frog: I'm sorry this took so long, everyone. I haven't had the time lately, and I'm not even sure why. But I have the next chapter mostly written up so it shouldn't take too long for the next update. Thank you for your patience.

* * *

Alys felt her face pale. _Sister? _Now she felt really, well she wasn't quite sure how she felt. It was a mixture of confusion, embarrassment, anger, fear, and utter shock. Now that she thought about it, they did look a bit alike. In a weird, unnaturally pretty way.

Selendrile's surprised expression turned into a glare, "What are you doing here? Living among humans of all things!" he hissed.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "I don't think you have a right to speak to me in such a manner…" her eyes flickered briefly to Alys.

"That's different!" he snapped defensively, "I don't live in a town full of them! And if I did, they wouldn't know what I was!"

"You're are just being narrow-minded with the thoughts of a youngling," she sighed, standing up, "Come. We should return as soon as possible."

Selendrile staggered to his feet, "What makes you think we're going with you?"

She looked at him dismissively over her shoulder, letting him know she had heard, and then kept walking. She said nothing, just walked away. It reminded Alys of how he used to treat her. It was his choice if they would be joining her or not.

Eventually, with an irritated growl, he started after her. Alys hesitated before taking a few strides to catch up with him. His expression was hard, so she wasn't sure if talking was appropriate right now. But she decided to anyways.

"Why are we following her?" she began.

"I'm weak. Too weak to fly very far," he admitted with a distasteful sigh, "Not to mention, I doubt you would appreciate it if I only wore _this _for the next few days."

Alys glanced at the blanket covering him, and blushed slightly. She hadn't thought of that. He stumbled a bit in the growing darkness of the night, falling to his knees, and she found herself at his side immediately. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and their eyes locked momentarily.

"Did she hurt you at all?" he asked softly. She blinked in surprise at his question.

"Well she acted like she was going to kill me. But I guess I was just bait to get you down here," she mused.

He nodded slowly, standing up again, "I suppose I'm not surprised. She always did have a sense of humor. No matter how irritating it can be."

_That's humor to a dragon? _Alys thought to herself. Apparently what was funny to one of their kind wasn't supposed to be funny to much of anyone else.

"I think she does hate me though," Alys added after they had wandered a little farther.

"She does?" Selendrile actually sounded concerned.

"Well, she seems to. We don't really…get along very well," she hunched her shoulders sheepishly, hoping that he wouldn't consider it too bad of a thing. He nodded again in understanding, lost in his own thoughts.

The gates were still open when they arrived at Drenn once more, even though it was fairly dark out now. The guards hardly seemed fazed by them coming, and the massive doors closed behind them. They paused in the clearing there. A few people stopped to look at them before continuing on with their business.

"This way," Alys said finally after taking a deep breath. She started down the dimly lit streets with Selendrile only a pace or two behind her. Soon they reached the marble manor. The guards let them in without hesitation, and Lauren immediately greeted them.

"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly. Selendrile glanced at Alys, having no idea who the girl was, and not sure how to act around a stranger that knew what he was.

"He's a bit tired," she explained, smiling back at her friend.

"Shall I take you to your room then?" Alys wasn't sure if she was just asking Selendrile or both of them. She was looking at her. Once again, she was forced to answer.

"Uh, sure."

"Right this way!" the maid chimed, smiling brightly. She led them to the third floor, and into a lavishly decorated room.

Three massive windows overlooking a courtyard in the back of the manor that had silken blue curtains made up over half of the back wall. Stately furniture and priceless ornaments filled the room. Everything was either dark brown, ocean blue, or white. But the thing that surprised Alys the most was the fact that there were two beds, sitting not far apart from each other against one of the side walls.

"I moved your garments to that wardrobe miss. And his are in that one," Lauren gestured to the ebony furniture as she spoke. Alys gave her a startled look, and she grinned back, almost mischievously, "Her ladyship thought you two might like to share a room. We were originally only going to have one bed, but since you have so _plainly _stated again and again that the two of you are _not _romantically involved, we decided to move another one in here."

Alys could only nod. The look on the younger girl's face hinted that she was probably expecting them to not make use of the other bed anyways. She got a glare then, but only giggled in response. Selendrile gave Alys a curious look.

"Will you be needing anything else?" Lauren asked cheerily, looking from one to the other. Alys could only wonder why she was in such a good mood today.

"No. I think we're fine," Selendrile answered this time; inspecting some of the clothes he had been given. The small girl curtsied and left.

"Romantically involved?" Selendrile raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to explain. She sighed in exasperation, sitting forcefully on a couch.

"Your sister keeps insisting that you and I are either married, engaged, or lovers of some sort," she snorted indignantly.

"Does she really…" his expression became unreadable, but for the briefest of moments, she thought he looked somewhat hurt.

"Is that her trying to be funny again?" she asked, pushing that thought aside. She had only imagined it. That was the only explanation. She just hoped that Celedine hadn't formed that thought from looking into hers or anything like that. He paused.

"Perhaps," she shrugged, walking into the bathroom to get dressed. He came out a few minutes later wearing what looked like the simplest clothing he could find. Which was still fancier than anything he was used to. For a second, Alys thought he looked like he could be some handsome prince, but she quickly threw that image out the window, and hoped she wasn't blushing.

Someone tapped lightly on the door, and he answered it. Alys wasn't surprised to see it was Celedine. She was also now fully dressed in exquisite garments.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked politely, probably out of human custom. Selendrile just shook his head "no" and allowed her inside. She seated herself in a chair near Alys, folding her hands neatly on her lap and closing her eyes.

"You have questions," she murmured, her eyelids not opening. Alys almost got the impression that she didn't want to be doing this right now.

Selendrile hesitantly sat on the couch next to the human girl, 'Why have you chosen to live among humans?"

She looked up at him, her face expressionless, "They…fascinate me. More than you can possibly imagine. Their society, their individual quirks and habits, just about everything about them. They are so different from fae," she paused, looking around the room, "I wanted to know more. So I found this quaint little village; out of the way of most trade routes and whatnot. They were miners for the most part; and were struggling when I came to them. Goblins frequently raided their food stores and craft shops. They were…growing desperate.

"It was easy, really. I came down from the mountains during a skirmish between the humans and the goblins. After the nasty little creatures retreated, I shifted forms. I gave the humans an offer. I would protect them and make them to prosper _if _they would allow me to rule and watch over them in a pact by blood. I have always seen natural human society to be corrupt, and I was curious to see if I could better it. The town's leader at the time was very tentative to agree, but after two days, he finally conceded. So far, we have both kept our vows."

"Aren't they afraid of you?" Alys asked, finding it pretty unbelievable at best that everyone trusted her completely.

"That was many, many years ago by the standards of your kind," she explained, "Trust is something they develop as they grow from youngling to adult. I have never given them a reason to mistrust me."

"But you kill people! This town is known for it!" Alys snapped, remembering all the stories of disappearances she had heard.

"For my own protection, and in substance, that of the town as well. They understand"

Alys wondered how true that was. Unless they had become immune to it. Now that she thought about it, if executions in one form or another were such common events, then the townsfolk probably didn't think much of it anymore.

"There's another dragon here…" Selendrile stated, his voice holding a strange twinge to it. He vaguely recognized the scent floating in the air, but he couldn't remember who or what it came from.

"That would be Eldeck, my mate," Celedine stated simply, a faint smirk coming to her lips.

"Eldeck?"

"He's out at the moment. Stretching his wings."

They were quiet a bit before Selendrile spoke again, "You're very tired," he mused, studying her closely.

She lowered her gaze, "It is very late, youngling. You need to rest in order to regain your strength." And with that, she left the room without another word.

"She's not used to it either," Selendrile stated contemplatively.

"What do you mean?" Alys gave him a curious look.

"She's stressed. But it's not from ruling over humans. She would have gotten used to that by now. Something else has recently made it more tiring…"

Alys paused, looking down in thought, "Like what?"

He shook his head and sighed, "I didn't really notice it until she mentioned the goblins. Being around humans so much has made her easier to read. She's grown accustomed to acting like them."

"Since she must have chased the goblins away, somehow or other," she looked at him as she spoke to see if he may be thinking the same. Knowing him, he had come up with this several minutes ago and was just listening to her draw her own conclusions, "Do you suppose they might want revenge?"

"I would assume," Selendrile frowned, "But there's not much a goblin can do to harm a dragon. Even an entire hoard of them is hardly a threat. They are fae too after all."

"Do you think there are other fae here? Maybe not threats, but that might know more about this and not dance around the question?" she asked. He closed his eyes in concentration for a moment.

"I think I sense some others. Not many, just a couple. It's more difficult to sense others when inside a building. The walls and humans mesh and block their scent," he stated emotionlessly.

"I guess I'll be doing some investigating tomorrow. Maybe I can find out who they are," Alys sighed. She wasn't sure she wanted to, but she had a feeling, by the way he was acting, that he would be doing it regardless of whether she helped or not.

He looked at her, his eyes holding faint traces of concern, "Just be careful. Dragons don't appreciate others nosing around in their business," he warned.

"Ok. I will be," she sighed. As if she didn't already know that.

* * *

Frog: I'm horrible with good endings for chapters. Ah well. New stuff is happening! Exciting isn't it? Or maybe not. Anyways, thank you for reading. I know this chapter was kind of short, but I'm trying to make the next one longer. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up before I leave for Spring Break. Please review! Bye! 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the book Dragon's Bait.

Frog: See? I told you the next update would be quicker! And this one is pretty long too, so I hope you all like it. It's one of the funnier chapters, I think. At least near the end. And there's a fluffy part at the end too that I hope you all like too.

_flashback_.

* * *

When Alys awoke the next morning Selendrile was already gone. She frowned slightly, but it was to be expected, she reasoned. She climbed out of bed and realized she was still wearing the dress made of Celedine's scales. She quickly changed into a fairly simple pure white dress, and poked her head out the door.

"Do you need something, miss Alys?" Edgar's voice met her ears, causing her to jump. She turned to see the gentleman raising an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, not really," she smiled sheepishly, closing the door behind her, "I was wondering, are there other fey here?"

"_You _were wondering?" he gave her a skeptical look.

"Fine. Selendrile and I were wondering. But mostly me," she sighed crossing her arms. She really was interested in finding out if other creatures lived here, though she wasn't sure why. More than anything it was a way to use up her time.

He nodded, motioning for her to follow him, "Her ladyship told me she won't mind if I introduce you to them. They've been wanting to meet you for some time now," he began, "The other non-humans have only been here for less than a year. Her ladyship invited them."

"Why?" Alys asked curiously, "Are they friends of hers?"

"They were not enemies. They ways of the non-humans are curious. But it is best that you not know her reasons at the moment."

"Can Selendrile know?"

"Perhaps. It is up to her ladyship," he did something akin to a shrug.

"Hm," Alys nodded, "Where are we going, exactly?"

He didn't answer, and instead made his way down the stairs and into another hallway. Alys continued to follow him curiously. Eventually he stopped in front of a closed door, and knocked politely.

"Just a moment," a soft female voice cooed from inside. The door opened halfway a few seconds later revealing a tall, slender woman with buttercup colored hair with a few green streaks here and there. Her clothes were a simple off-white blouse and a dark green skirt that went to her knees with a slit to her thigh. However, her most striking feature by far was the set of transparent green wings protruding from her back. She smiled kindly, almost motherly at Alys.

"Forgive me, Lady Daffodil. I hope I did not awaken you," Edgar bowed deeply.

"Oh no, it's all right," she waved her hand, her voice almost like honey on their ears. She turned to Alys again, "You must be Alys. How my sister and I have longed to see the creature that can so easily get under Celedine's skin," she giggled.

"Really? She's that annoyed with me?" the smaller girl blinked. She actually felt quite proud of herself for some reason.

"Very much so, compared to most things," Daffodil chuckled again, and opened the door a little wider, "Won't you come inside for a few minutes?"

Alys glanced at Edgar, who nodded his approval and politely took his leave. So she followed the winged fey into the dark room. Daffodil snapped her fingers causing several stones on along the walls began to brighten the room. The furniture was simple and earthy, and the air was warm and humid. Several potted plants hung from the ceiling and stood in the corners and along the walls.

"What are these?" Alys asked curiously, hesitantly touching one of the glowing rocks.

"Sunstones," Daffodil answered simply, "Celedine made sure my sister and I would be completely at home here. These jewels can emit the same amount of light as the sun at any time of the day," she yawned softly, "I only have it at sunset right now. You must forgive me. I was up all night, and prefer it not to be too bright."

"It's fine," Alys shook her head, looking around some more in awe. The back of the room didn't have the crystals, and was nearly pitch-black. The only light was a pale blue beam that shown down from a strange chandelier, spotlighting two beds mirroring each other on opposite sides of the room.

"And that's a moonstone," the woman explained, noticing where Alys was looking, "We fairies find it easier to sleep under the moon's gaze. But a moonstone is the next best thing, especially when you sleep during the day."

Alys nodded in understanding, and Daffodil motioned for her to sit. The chair was very comfortable in comparison to many of the fancier ones in the manor. The fairy sat across from her, pulling her legs up onto the chair with her.

"I thought fairies were supposed to be small," Alys cocked her head.

She chucked lightly, "You are thinking of pixies."

"Pixies?" she repeated.

Daffodil rolled her eyes with a slight smirk, "Pixies are the little ones. But they always like to sound more important and formidable than they are, so they commonly refer to themselves as fairies."

"I see," Alys shrugged, "Is there anything you need to talk to me about?"

"Not really," the taller girl paused, smiling, "I just wanted to get to know you some. Celedine speaks often of you."

"I'm not why she's stressed, am I?" she asked, feeling a little worried. Celedine didn't seem to be the type of being that would tolerate an annoyance for too long.

"What?" the fairy looked concerned.

"Selendrile said she's stressed. Am I the cause of it?"

Daffodil sighed sadly, "No. But I doubt you're helping," her eyes widened, "Please don't take that the wrong way. She's fiercely protective of her brother."

"Ah. So that's why she doesn't like me," Alys muttered.

"Dragons are interesting creatures," her companion mused, rubbing her chin, "Some guard their younger siblings, while others, even from the same batch of eggs, would rather eat them. Most of them simply don't care. Selendrile is fortunate his sister is the doting kind."

"He is?" Alys swallowed involuntarily, noting a strange tone in the woman's melodic voice.

Daffodil pursed her lips, "Let's just say that dragons of different races don't always get along."

"Eldeck?" the fairy nodded, and blinked tiredly. Alys gave her a small smile, "I'll just go. You look like you could use some sleep."

"Yes. Thank you Alys," she sighed, "I apologize. I'd love to chat more but…"

"It's fine. It was nice meeting you," the human girl smiled as she headed for the door.

"You too," Daffodil waved, and headed toward her bed as the sunstones dimmed and the door closed. Alys then proceeded to explore the rest of the manor.

* * *

Selendrile sniffed around the rocky area near the base of the mountains, trying to find anything that would distract him from thoughts of his sister. It wasn't that he disliked to her a very great extent. More that she just irritated him.

He froze when he heard the wing beats of a larger dragon overhead, and prepared to take flight if need be. A gigantic dragon with bronze scales landed not far way in a cloud of dust. The newcomer tuned its piercing gaze toward him, and Selendrile found himself looking into a pair of eyes that he remember all to well…

Selendrile shuttered as the larger bronze dragon growled hungrily. The stranger wasn't full grown, but Selendrile, being only about the size of a small dog, was still just a few bites big. This was the kind of trouble a young dragon could get into when they ventured outside of their cave without an older dragon to look out for them.

_The bronze dragon lunged, and Selendrile squeaked as he narrowly evaded it steely jaws. He bounded as quickly as he could through the vegetation that separated him from his home, shrieking loudly as the predator kept right on his tale._

_He finally managed to reach the cavern he was born in. His sister met him at the entrance, having heard his cries. He ran and hid behind her forelegs, whimpering._

_His pursuer paused, eyeing Celedine carefully as she hissed and growled threateningly at him. He could easily kill her. She wasn't so big herself, but such an attack would not be without quite some effort. Effort he was not willing to waste since there was easier prey elsewhere in the mountains, and he didn't know when the adults would be back._

_So with an irritated growl, he retreated to the sky. Celedine watched him go before ushering Selendrile back inside._

"Well, well, well. You are lucky to have grown," Eldeck snickered. Selendrile took a step back. _This _was Celedine's _mate_?

"Are you still afraid of me?" the older, bigger dragon feigned hurt, "Don't worry, tiny dragon. I won't bite."

Selendrile growled at being called "tiny", much to Eldeck's amusement. He chortled again.

"Fate's a strange entity, isn't it?" he sighed, laying on the ground.

"What are you doing out here?" Selendrile asked in exasperation.

"Your sister wants me to keep an eye on you. Until you regain your strength of course. And you're looking pretty healthy," he mused. He could easily keep track of Selendrile from a distance, they both knew that, but it was more fun to be up close where he could be an annoyance.

"She would, wouldn't she," Selendrile muttered, "What's wrong with her anyways?" he asked. Despite everything, she was his own flesh (or would it be scale?) and blood, and the only one he had that he knew he could trust when he needed it most.

"Eh?"

"She's tired. You would know better than anyone else."

"Eldeck's body tensed, and he glared at the golden dragon, "Indeed I do. But just because you're family doesn't give you license to pry," he hissed.

"I see she's not the only one," Selendrile sneered.

"No, she is not," Eldeck's voice was taught as he spoke, "Times are…difficult for us right now."

"Why?"

"Didn't I make it clear that I'm not telling you?" the bronze dragon growled. He rose to his feet, and flew away. Selendrile watched him go silently. 

* * *

Alys had been investigating the manor all day. The place was amazingly pleasant all of a sudden, and the people were much more kind toward her.

She had currently just come out of a door into the courtyard, by suggestion of a friendly guard. It was sunny outside, and she took a deep breath of the fresh summer air. The center of the courtyard was a raised stone circle with a few flowing lines carved artistically into it. It was large enough for a house to sit on…or to be a landing pad for dragons. The sides contained rows of beautifully arranged flowers in every color imaginable.

She began to wander around, admiring the garden. There really wasn't much else to do. As she turned a corned, she spotted Lauren and two younger girls kneeling under a shade tree. Her friend looked up at her as she approached and smiled.

"You want to help us make flower crowns?" she asked. The other servant girls, no older than seven or eight, looked up at her with curiosity.

"I'll…watch," Alys answered with uncertainty, joining them. Flower jewelry wasn't really her thing.

She talked and laughed with them for much of the rest of the day, enjoying human company for the first time in years. Even if they were all younger than her. She was also relieved that Lauren never brought up Selendrile. They even made her a crown of pale blue, pink, and white flowers with golden stripes down the center of each petal.

The sun had set by the time they finished, and Alys headed back inside. She hurried to her room to see if Selendrile had returned yet. Sure enough, he had. He was sitting in a chair, watching a fire in the fireplace with a contemplative expression. He looked up at her when she entered, and she saw his eyes widen slightly.

"She sat down on a nearby couch, "There are two fairies here. Daffodil and her sister. I haven't met the sister yet," she reported, since he didn't appear to be ready to say anything.

"I see," he averted his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Alys asked worriedly. He shifted uncomfortably, refusing to look at her. Of course, this only made her more concerned.

Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Selendrile quickly stood up, still not looking at Alys, and opened the door. You can probably guess who it was.

Celedine nodded to her brother, and then turned to the human girl. She raised her eyebrows, and smirked faintly. Eldeck came in behind her, and Alys gasped slightly when she saw too metallic wings and even a tail. He also appeared to be amused when he saw Alys. She gave them a glare, and Selendrile was still looking another way.

"You look lovely today," Celedine chuckled, "Wouldn't you agree dearest brother?"

He glared at her, "What do you want this time?"

She pouted, "I just came to see you. I'm your sister. Is that so bad?"

Much to Alys' surprise, she then hugged Selendrile tightly. The look on his face was absolutely priceless, and something that would be forever ingrained in her mind. She just about fell out of her chair, laughing. Her companion was too unnerved to glare at either of them.

"Now where did you get this?" Celedine then approached Alys, and caressed one of the flowers on her crown.

"Lauren and her friends made it for me," she explained, giving the dragoness an untrusting look.

"Ah Lauren. Of course," she giggled again, "I always did like that girl. Perhaps I shouldn't have told her all the special purposes the fey have for the plants in the garden."

Alys removed the crown, and looked at it closely, "Do I want to know?"

"You should, so that conniving little girl doesn't get you into trouble," Eldeck smirked, glancing at Selendrile. The younger dragon gave him a look, warning him not to say more.

"The pink flowers," Celedine began, gesturing to said blossoms, "Are the traditional flowers fey brides wear. Mostly fairies and other human formed ones. The white one symbolize beauty, and their pollen has a certain glitter to it that tends to accent a creature natural beauty. And the baby blue ones," she paused, smirking, "Moon mist blossoms, as they're called, are scentless to humans, but to fey, the aroma is quite possibly the most alluring thing in existence."

Alys found herself blushing. That explained why Selendrile wouldn't look at her, she supposed. Though she couldn't imagine how anything could smell good enough for it to be a temptation. 

"You both seem to be doing fine," the female dragon mused, smiling at them, "Rest well."

Soon she and Eldeck were out of the room. Selendrile looked at the closed door, and shook his head. He would never understand her.

After a moment, Alys tossed the crown into the fireplace, and watched it burn, "Sorry about that. I had no idea."

"It's fine," he sighed, waving his hand dismissively and sitting in his chair again. They remained quiet after that.

"I think I'm going to bed," Alys murmured once the flowers had been reduced to ashes. She stood up, brushing some small blossoms and petals from her dress. He simply nodded, giving her one of those emotionless looks out of the corner of his eye.

She changed, and then climbed into her bed with a quiet sigh. A part of her wished she had kept the crown, just to see what would happen. Selfishly she wished Selendrile were interested in her without the flowers. She couldn't help but wonder what may have happened had Celedine not come. Probably nothing, she thought grimly, scolding herself inwardly for thinking about it so much. It wasn't her place. He was a dragon, and she a human. It would never work.

* * *

He continued to stare at the flickering flames as they began to die out. Selendrile blinked a few times, glancing at a nearby clock. He had been sitting her for a few hours now. He sighed, and stood up, stretching.

The dragon youth noticed a few dismissed blossoms on the floor, and stooped to hold them in his hand. He debated on whether or not to toss them in the smoldering embers. Instead, on a whim, he quietly approached Alys' bed. Then he delicately sprinkled the petals on her hair.

He stared at her fondly for a moment. He already found her attractive for a human, but the flowers in her hair gave her beauty unexplainably more noticeable. At least, to a fey it did. He truly didn't feel he had ever seen something so lovely.

He cautiously leaned closer, and gently brushed his lips against the soft skin of her cheek. He wanted so badly to continue his affections, but wisely stood up straight before the intoxicating combination of the moon mist blossoms and her own scent could overwhelm him. He stared at her a few more moments, and then released as heavy sigh of longing. 

Selendrile then shook his head, bringing himself completely back to reality, and off her spell. He would not dream of her as he slept that night, as a human might. It just didn't happen. Still, he breathed purposefully, trying to clear his nose. As he was doing that, a new scent drifted to him from out the window.

He opened his eyes calmly, and sat up. It was so faint, yet so plain, and not a pleasant small either.

Goblins…

* * *

Frog: I wonder if that's a cliffhanger. I guess it sort of is. Anyways, I'm leaving Wednesday for two weeks on Spring Break, so there won't be any updates in that time. You understand, right? And when I get back, I'll hopefully have an update ready to type up. Until then, please review! And thank you for reading still! Bye!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dragon's Bait

Frog: Hm, I guess there was a problem with the review system or something? Either that or hardly anyone likes this story anymore. I'm only kidding…or am I. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Plenty happens in a short amount of time it seems. But maybe it's just me. This story is over halfway finished already! Eek! How quickly these things go by. But don't worry; there are still some chapters left to write.

* * *

A quiet sound somehow managed to rouse Alys from her sleep. It took a few minutes, but eventually her body gave into her waking mind, and she sat up to rub her eyes. After looking around some, she concluded that Selendrile was not there. And it was still very dark out.

She frowned, and stood up. For some reason, she felt compelled to look for him. Even though she would rather retreat back under her covers and sleep. She found a robe to cover her nightgown, and stepped out into the hall. There was hardly any light, so she could barely see for a few minutes. And even when her eyes adjusted it was still terribly dark.

"Selendrile?" she whispered, walking slowly toward the where the stairs were. No answer, so she kept going.

Eventually she reached the first floor, and without seeing a single soul. No guards or servants or anything. Of course, it was the middle of the night now that she thought about it, so she shouldn't be so surprised.

She froze suddenly, hearing a faint noise coming from an open room nearby. Hesitantly she went to the doorway, and looked inside. It looked like a place for storing weapons and tools of some sort. A door was swaying faintly across from her, obviously opened just moments before. On the ground in front of it were some objects that Alys recognized and lock picks, having seen her father show her how to make them in the past in case they were ever needed.

She crept to the opening, and snuck inside. There was a small set of steps before her feet hit a floor of stone and dirt, and she gasped. She was in a massive cavern with torches burning high above. Piles of priceless items made of precious metal towered over her and were scattered about the floor. Obviously this was a dragon's hoard. There was no other reason for this much treasure to be in one place. However it was not her surroundings that caused Alys' sudden intake of breath. No, that was due to the crudely made knife currently pressed to her throat.

"You not go anywhere, human," a gruff, but strangely comical voice growled, "And no noise making or you get hurt badly."

"Yuck!" a similar sounding voice coming from somewhere by her waist hissed, "She reek of dragon. Can we just kill her?"

"_Must be goblins,"_ Alys thought to herself, frowning.

"No. Wait till others get back," the voice closer to her head scolded.

Her captors, however, had forgotten one detail in their threats. Her arms were still free. So she just had to reach up, and wrestle the knife from the grimy, hairy hand that held it, and ducking away.

"Hey! No fair!" she turned to see a goblin with his hands on his hips, standing on the shoulders of another goblin. They were quite ugly little creatures. Sparse hair covered their olive-brown skin, and they wore shredded looking clothes. The first one jumped to the ground, and prepared to throw a different knife at her, a cruel glint in his eyes.

Her body reacted before her mind ever could have, and she found herself running as fast as she could. There was a terrible, ripping pain in her shoulder, and she screamed, almost loosing her balance and falling to the ground. Somehow she managed to round a corner, and keep running.

"Alys?" a voice called. She paused, turning to see Daffodil flying toward her, "Alys what are you doing here? Are you the one I heard scream?"

The human girl stood panting as the fairy landed. They both looked to where blood was pouring down her arm. Alys put her hand over the wound, wincing.

"Wh-what happ…" the other woman began before her eyes drifted past her. Alys saw her eyes widen and was aware of a bright light shining on her face as it came from behind her before she found herself pressed against the ground and dragon fire roared overhead. She had to close her eyes from the intense heat, even though the flames didn't touch her. She barely heard screams, as the two goblins that had been trying to hurt her were burned alive. Just breaths later, two dragon raged passed them. Eldeck's tail hit the pile of treasure behind them, causing a small shower of gold and silver to come down on top of them.

"Are you alright?" Alys finally managed to unseal her tightly shut eyelids to see Selendrile looking down at them blankly.

"More or less," she answered, struggling to her feet, and noting the growing feeling of nausea and dizziness she was getting. Oh she hoped that knife wasn't poisoned. Her dragon friend saw the blood and he expression turned worried.

A loud roar drew their attention to where Celedine and Eldeck had gone. Daffodil was the first to head after them. Alys and Selendrile shared a glance briefly before following as well.

When they arrived, Eldeck was searching the area for more intruders, dark blood dripping from his jaws. Celedine was hesitantly stepping toward a few large white orbs set in an earthen mound. Alys' breath caught in her throat. Were those eggs?

She started walking forward. Selendrile went to stop her, but Daffodil stayed him, her head bowed with tears running down her cheeks at having failed her job so miserably. For a moment, Celedine looked about ready to devour the human girl right then and there. But instead, she turned to a broken eggshell, and something wet and gold in color that lay still next to it.

Alys felt like her heart had jumped up to her throat, and she couldn't swallow as the dragoness nudged the lifeless form. Finally, Celedine took a step back, and Alys fell to her knees by the baby dragon, too small to have been taken from its egg just yet. The human girl didn't care if blood and fluids from the egg got on her garments.

The female golden dragon threw her head up and released a painful, earth-shattering cry that caused the entire chamber to shake. Alys almost feared she meant to bring the cavern's ceiling down on top of them. Then her vision began to blur, more than it had been, and her head grew alarmingly light. As the resounding echoes of the dragonesses pained cry began to fade, all went black, and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Slowly, Alys' senses began to return. First came the ability to feel. She was on the ground, but her head was resting on something soft like cotton. Her shoulder was sore and throbbed with each beat of her heart, and her entire body ached. Then sound and scent came back to her. She heard hushed murmurs, though her mind was too hazy to make out any words. The air smelled like flowers, but there was an underlying hint of smoke and decay.

Lastly she regained the ability to open her eyes and see. Her vision was bleary at first, but soon she could make out pebbles on the ground and firelight reflecting off the piles of gold around her.

"Did you sleep well?" Daffodil asked kindly. Alys' eyes drifted to where the fairy woman was kneeling not far in front of her.

"I have a headache," she grumbled, moving her hand to her temple. However, the sharp pain of the knife wound in her shoulder stopped it violently.

"Why don't you drink this?" another female voice crooned, "The poison has already been removed from your body, but that throbbing sensation will be there for a few more hours. This will help sooth it."

Alys jumped and sat up too see another fairy that she had been laying on the lap of the entire time. She was smiling kindly at her, and seemed to be taking pity on her mortality as well.

"Alys, I would like you to meet Lilac, my sister," Daffodil introduced proudly.

"Uh, hi," Alys smiled sheepishly. Lilac's hair was long, wavy, and the same color as the flower for which she was named. Her eyes were the same color as Daffodil's and she wore a dark violet robe like that of a priestess.

"Here. Don't worry, it doesn't taste bad like most medicines," Lilac offered her a cup of sweet-smelling, milky liquid. The warm drink took effect quickly, and she already felt a little more energized.

Taking this opportunity to look around, she saw Eldeck and Celedine coiled around their nest. There were two eggs that she could see, and what appeared to be the remnants of three others pushed to the side, though only one had been broken this time around. The baby dragon's body was nowhere to be seen, though she supposed that was probably for the best. Celedine appeared to be asleep while her mate lay stiffly by her side with ever-vigilant eyes.

"Where's…" she began, but the one she was looking for cut her off.

"Would you like to return to the room?" Selendrile asked, his tone as expressionless as ever. She spun around to see him sitting cross-legged on the ground behind her.

"I…don't care…" she answered with uncertainty, "What time is it?"

"Early still," he shrugged, standing.

"You should probably be getting some more rest, Alys," Daffodil smiled reassuringly at her.

"Yes. You need time to let your body heal some more. That poison could have killed you," Lilac continued. Alys nodded her thanks to them and turned to see Selendrile already headed for the exit.

"Hey wait!" Alys complained, hurrying to catch up with him. However, her body wasn't quite ready to handle this kind of activity just yet, and her legs buckled underneath her.

Yet she never hit the ground. Instead, she found Selendrile's arms wrapped somewhat awkwardly around her waist. She couldn't help but blush.

"Humans," he muttered under his breath. The dragon boy then lifted her up and started to carry her bridal style to the door.

"Put me down! I can walk fine by myself!" she glared up at him. He continued to look forward.

"Tell me, do you _want_ to make a fool of yourself?" he mused, "I don't need the trouble of trying to catch you every time you fall down."

"I _am _making a fool of myself!" this time he did look at her in amusement. She cursed in her mind. If Lauren ever saw this…

"Really? And here I thought I was doing you a favor," he sighed.

"Since when do you do _anyone _favors," she hissed.

"You're not anyone."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the traveling companion of a dragon. Not just _anyone _can claim that," he explained simply. She just glared at him.

"Can you put me down now?" she requested again, after a few minutes of silence had passed between them, and they had reached the weapon stores room again.

"If that's really what you want," he sighed heavily again. And then he simple let her drop to the floor. She yelped in pain and surprise and rolled onto her side with a groan.

"Is everything alright?" a guard asked, coming to the doorway.

"Yes. She's just being stubborn," Selendrile answered, closing the door to the cavern chamber. The guard nodded, and went back to wherever he had come from.

Alys sat up, rubbing her back. She paused when she heard excited murmurs down the hall. Selendrile went to the door, and looked back at her, waiting for the oh-so-independent human to follow. Alys managed to get to her feet, and stood up straight, defiance in her eyes. He pretended to look impressed, and left the room as she tried her best to follow. Thankfully, he was going slower this time.

As they went, the sound of voices grew louder and louder. They rounded a corner and paused. A small group of guards were standing in there way, trying to keep back a throng of people, all asking questions at the same time about what had just happened. Alys guessed they had been awakened by Celedine's grieving cry, and wanted answers. Edgar stood in front of the guards, trying to tell them everything was alright.

"Wait here," Selendrile murmured quietly, and went to have a word with the steward. The older man nodded, and her friend came back, "This way."

They went down the direction they had come, and then passed the weapons storage room. Eventually they came to a small corridor with a single door at its end. Selendrile ushered her inside, and then closed the door behind them.

Alys stared at the ceiling in amazment. It was several stories up, and a pair windows cut into the wall near the top where light streamed in. The room itself was fairly sparse, unlike the rest of the manor. There was a large bed with a canopy of black, heavy fabric hanging from a small platform above it. A dresser and a vanity of dark, glossy wood were up against the left wall, and a similar looking desk and a black loveseat were against the other. The floor had an elaborate rug on dark stone tile. Various objects of gold and silver were scattered about on the furniture and the floor, as though a child had left them.

"Is this...your sister's room?" Alys asked, almost in disbelief. It was much more simple than she would evern had expected it to be.

"Apparently," he shrugged, "Now go ahead, and sleep. The fairies were right about you needing to rest."

"In _here_?" she gave in a skeptical look. She really would rather not do this.

"Why not. Celedine won't be using it for awhile. I doubt she'll ever spend another night in here until those eggs hatch now," he sighed, his eyes taking on a distant look. She put a hand on his shoulder. He gave her a sideways glance, a hit of a smile reaching his face.

"Just rest," he told her again, gently. She nodded, and went to the large bed. It was surprisingly comfortable, and she soon settled in. Selendrile quitly transformed into a small bird, and perched on the window high above to watch over her until dawn came and he had to leave. And Alys soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Frog: I'm really not good at ending chapters unless they're cliffhangers. It's frustrating. Oh well. Please review! Hopefully the thing will work better this time. I love to know what you people think! Thanks for still reading, Bye!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: As usual, sorry about the wait, but I have a good excuse this time. _Lady Kellyn _has very nicely offered to beta this story, so I again thank her for all of her help. And you can all thank her too for making sure this story looks nice and pretty for all of you to read it! I wish I could say more, but I'm not so great with words.

_mango pie_--Very soon.

_DakotaTheDog_--I'll try. There's some in this chapter, but it might not be what you're looking for. I guess I've been having trouble fitting alone time for them into the whole scheme of things.

Frog: The beginning of this chapter is a bit odd in that it keeps going from the present to a flashback (_which will be in italics, as usual_). I hope it doesn't confuse anyone.

* * *

Several days had passed since the goblin raid. Celedine had only left her nest once, for the sole purpose of addressing the villagers and assuring them that everything was all right. Alys had mostly recovered from her knife wound by now, but she would still get the occasional twinge of pain in her shoulder. And the entire town still seemed to be recovering as a whole.

Selendrile sat cross-legged in the tall grass near the outside wall of the town. He idly plucked blades of grass and then crumpled them in his hand. His elbow rested on his knee, and he was resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

"_I don't think I can do this anymore...,_ _" his sister sighed tiredly, shaking her head, "Eldeck's right. I can't be a mother and the leader of this town at the same time."_

His sister had called him to her hoard earlier that day to talk to him. The fatigue she felt had been visible, even though she usually kept it hidden. And she was shedding enough scales to create a suit of armor for every guard in town.

"_But I can't just..._leave _the town alone," she murmured, "I formed a pact by blood. It can't be undone, even if the townsfolk are willing to let me go."_

"_But you _have_ to. The eggs aren't safe here, and it will be even worse when they hatch," he protested._

"Selendrile?"

He turned his head to the side to see Alys coming out of the front gates. She spotted him and frowned. "This isn't like you. What are you doing out here?"

"_I know, and I will," she stated simply, using her tail to brush away a spot to lie down. "The terms of the pact are that the town will always have a dragon to guard them."_

_Selendrile narrowed his eyes. "And I take it you don't plan on assigning Eldeck to the task."_

"I'm a dragon," he shrugged. "How do you know this isn't like me?"

Alys put her hands on her hips. "You've never done this before."

He didn't answer, instead looking the other way. Alys couldn't help but sigh in exasperation, and plopped herself down next to him. She wasn't sure how or why, but she knew something was troubling him.

"_You really have no choice in the matter, Selendrile," Celedine pointed out as she watched her brother pace back and forth, "unless that girl means absolutely nothing to you."_

"_Don't you mock me," he hissed as she looked on in amusement._

"Do you like it here, Alys?" he asked suddenly, turning to look at her. She gave him a puzzled look.

"It's…alright. Yes, I like some of the people here, but I'm not sure it's a place I'd like to live." She raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I just thought you humans like having settled homes," he said, shrugging.

"_Do you really think I hadn't heard of your little human companion_ _before you came here?" _

_He averted his eyes. Celedine smirked, revealing her dragon fangs. "Oh ho! Really now. Well, I suppose you must have been hoping," she chuckled deeply, __"Dear brother, you have become a joke among our kind by now. And as such, an embarrassment to our clan and our family."_

She looked down and considered this. "I suppose some of us do. But others really enjoy traveling."

"And which are you?" he pressed.

"I…" she sighed heavily. She was never really sure anymore what she wanted. Ever since she had met Selendrile, her life had been spiraling in all sorts of different directions. She guessed that a part of her wanted to just stay put for once— to have her own possessions and a familiar room instead of a different inn every few nights. She wished for a routine—a small/trivial/slight one, perhaps, that would give her life some kind of order.

However, she couldn't help but wonder whether, if she settled down somewhere, Selendrile would leave—possibly forever. Was he considering finding a place to deposit her for good?

"_And how are you any different? You live among humans!" Selendrile growled._

"_It's different for several reasons. Mostly because I control the humans here. In fact, other dragons think me to be quite clever." She paused, locking eyes with him"Choosing one as a _mate, _on the other hand…"_

"W-why does it matter?" Alys snapped , trying to get more information even though she knew it was unlikely her dragon companion would reveal anything. "And why would you care?"

Selendrile sighed heavily. "Because...it may be a while before we leave."

Her gaze softened at the distant tone of his voice. "Mind telling me why?" she asked again.

"_They won't tolerate this much longer, you know," Celedine purred darkly, "But if you will cooperate with me, perhaps I can convince them to leave the two of you alone."_

Selendrile sighed again, debating whether or not he should tell her, and how much. Regardless, Celedine would probably end up telling her anyways. But he wasn't certain _he_ could. He had never been in a situation like this before, nor had he heard of a similar one.

"I…owe my sister," he mumbled at last. It was partly true. She easily could have killed Alys that day at the gallows, if not earlier.

"So you have to stay here?" Alys gave him a confused look. She knew the dragoness was distraught about losing her eggs, but what could Selendrile do?

_He hissed venomously, making his opinion clear, but acquiesced. Celedine only looked at him smugly, and walked away back toward her nest._

"Yes," he said, nodding curtly. "I have to protect the town while she tends to her young."

"Ah," she nodded in understanding, even though she had several burning questions. But she could tell Selendrile was upset, and decided it would be best not to press the issue any further.

"At least you don't have to baby-sit," she pointed out. Selendrile chuckled softly, inclining his head in agreement.

"Lady Alys!" someone called musically from the city gates. Alys winced and lay down in the tall grass, hoping against hope that Lauren wouldn't see her out here. It wasn't that she was avoiding the girl—she just didn't want the imaginative maid to glimpse her alone with Selendrile.

"Lady Alys? Are you out here?"

Lauren looked around and spotted Selendrile. "Have you seen Lady Alys?"

He simply looked down at his human companion, smirking slightly. The maid grinned and rushed over.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting," said Lauren, smiling coyly at them. Alys sat up, sending Selendrile a deadly glare.

"No, we were just talking," she replied casually.

"About what?" Her friend cocked her head.

"Stuff," she answered vaguely. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you, of course. Didn't you hear me call?" The younger girl shook her head and grabbed Alys's wrist. "Come on! I have to show you something!"

"Fine," Alys sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. She followed Lauren back into town and to a small shop. A tailor's, by the look of it. Lauren motioned for her to stay as she went over to chat with the shop's owner. Alys surveyed the wide variety of clothes. Most of them appeared to be for formal occasions.

The moment she was finished, Lauren rushed back, and beckoned to Alys. They went to a back room, where a seamstress was carefully adding the final touches to a man's jacket. She looked up at them and smiled warmly.

"Good evening, Lauren. What can I do for you today? Does her ladyship need something?" the woman asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Actually, I'm here for Lady Alys today," Lauren explained, "Oh, and Daffodil needs this mended."

She handed the middle-aged woman a torn skirt which Alys guessed had been damaged when the fairy had tackled her to the ground to escape burning to death. The seamstress nodded, folding it up and setting it aside.

"You must be Alys," the woman said, shaking Alys's hand. Her voice had a slight accent. "Lauren has told me so much about you. My name is Rebecca."

"It's nice to meet you." Alys smiled back.

"So what can I do for you two ladies today?" Rebecca asked, looking back and forth between them.

"You remember that dress you were working on a few weeks ago?" Lauren questioned. A knowing smile came to the older woman's face, and she nodded. "Do you think it would fit Alys?"

Rebecca looked Alys up and down a moment and shrugged. "I would assume so. There's only one way to find out."

She retreated into a nearby room that resembled a giant closet, with countless garments hanging along its walls. A moment later she reemerged, holding what appeared to be a lone, elegant-looking white dress.

Alys turned to her friend with a suspicious look. "That had better not be what I think it is..."

Lauren looked up at her with a smirk, and winked. "Of course it is. Every bride needs a wedding dress."

"Lauren!" Alys shouted bitterly before the smaller girl could say more. "How many times do I have to tell you?! Selendrile and I are _not _getting married!"

"But—"

"I'm serious, Lauren," Alys warned, storming out of the room. The maid blinked a few times before hurrying after her.

"M-miss! Wait!" she called, following the other girl out into the street. "You don't understand."

"You're the one who doesn't understand. And I'm tired of telling you!" Alys snapped, turning on her. The people around them all paused to stare.

"I am not _marrying_Selendrile. I am not _dating_Selendrile. I don't even love him!" Alys yelled, thoroughly tired of it all. She didn't care if what she said was true or not, she just wanted this girl to stop.

"But I—" Lauren was shaking slightly by now, so Alys forced herself to calm down.

"He and I are only friends, and that's how it's going to stay. I have no desire for it to be any more than that," she explained calmly.

"Are you sure about that, Alys?" came a smooth male voice.

She jumped and turned to see Eldeck standing a few feet away. He had a skeptical and slightly amused look on his face, and his wings were folded under his cloak.

"Of course I am!" She glared at him, her voice clipped, "Why on earth does everyone here insist on this? Selendrile and I aren't in love with each other!"

Eldeck merely chuckled deeply, causing her to shudder. "You poor, naive little girl..." he said softly.

"Be quiet, Eldeck," Selendrile hissed, coming up behind them. He glared at the other dragon before continuing on toward the manor. Alys couldn't help but notice that he seemedupset about something.

But...if he was upset—more so than he had been, at least—and if she assumed he must have heard her outburst...

Eldeck snickered as he watched the realization dawn on her face, while Lauren looked sad and worried. Alys was motionless, her feet frozen to the ground. She honestly didn't know what to think; all she felt was complete and total shock.

"Please excuse me," she mumbled, swallowing hard.

"Of course," Eldeck replied coolly, "Come along now, Lauren. Let's let the girl be."

"Yes, sir." The maid curtsied dejectedly and followed him. Alys, however headed straight for the town gate.

She walked swiftly through the darkening fields, not even sure where she was going. She barely paid any attention to the fading sunlight or the fact that the moon was only a sliver in the night sky. Eventually, she stumbled in the darkness near the edge of a grassy plain, causing the surrounding fireflies to panic.

She sat up and brushed some of the dirt, breathing steadily . Selendrile didn't _really _love her, did he? He had never acted as if he did. At least, not that she had noticed. He was a dragon, after all. All she did know was that she cared greatly for him, though she never showed it. And if he _did _love her...how was she ever going to make up for this?

She was getting cold, even though it was a warm midsummer night. But she couldn't go back—at least not to their room. How could she face him?

She heard a whinny come from down the hill, and froze to listen. A few minutes later she noticed a palomino horse trotting towards her. It had no reigns or saddle, nor any sign that it might have an owner—except for some blankets on its back. It turned to the blankets, and grabbed one with its teeth before dropping it on Alys.

She blinked a few times as the steed stared at her. "Celedine?" she ventured.

Indeed, the horse soon began to take on a human form with the remaining blanket covering her unclothed body. She looked up at Alys with a faint smile and sat down across from her. They didn't speak at first.

"You knew all along," Alys muttered, shaking her head.

"Of course I did. You're just figuring that out? And here I thought that I was being obvious." Celedine raised an eyebrow at her.

The human girl glared. "Oh, stop gloating."

"Fine, fine," The dragoness waved her hand dismissively. "Now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do?"

Alys snorted, remembering how Selendrile had always made it up to her in the past when she was plotting revenge. But this time she wasn't quite sure how to begin.

"First, could you tell me the proper way to apologize to a fey creature ?" she asked hopefully.

"In this case, you may have to _prove_ your love for him if he's going to believe you willingly," the older woman giggled,

"Otherwise he'll probably think you're behind it or something, and it's not how I really feel?" Alys mumbled.

"Possibly," Celedine replied, shrugging. "If you're interested, I do have...a suggestion..."

* * *

Frog: Now what could Celedine be planning. We shall have to wait and see. Anyways, that's that. I say that often, don't I? Oh well, thank you all who still read this story and thank you again _Lady Kellyn _for being such a _huge _help in making it better. Please review, I love to know what you all think! And good luck on all your own stories. Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: I'm so sorry this took so long. I guess the email system or something got messed up, so I didn't get the edited version from Lady Kellen. That's basically a summary. I actually had the original done some time ago. Forgive me, it's my fault.

_DakotaTheDog--_I hadn't actually thought of that before, so I tried to do it in both, but I think it turned out to be mostly in Alys'. I was also very tempted to put it in Celedine or Lauren's point of view, but decided against it.

Frog: Part of this chapter may seem a little...cultish I guess, but I think it fits. Sorry again.

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this," Alys murmured worriedly. Celedine glanced over at her from where she was mixing something in a small bowl. She looked the human girl up and down, seeming to evaluate her appearance.

"You don't trust me?" she said softly, turning back to her work.

Alys turned back to the mirror, staring at the flower-lined white gown she was wearing. She could see Lauren behind her along with a couple of other maids. All were beaming proudly at their work. By now Alys had realized that they had no idea what was going on, only that it had something to do with Selendrile.  
"Is she ready, then?" Lauren asked hopefully.

"Not quite." Celedine rose from her chair and approached Alys.

"Hold on!" the human girl snapped, taking a step back when the dragoness reached out a hand to paint some of the liquid on Alys's face with her finger. "Are you absolutely _sure _that this is the only way?"

"Perhaps." The noblewoman only stared at her, expressionless. "If you have a better idea, then by all means, do enlighten me."

Alys pursed her lips and hung her head, so Celedine continued, "I'm not _forcing _you to do this, Alys. It's up to you to decide if Selendrile is worth this or not…"

It was quiet in the manor this time of night, save for the faint sound of Selendrile's footsteps. He didn't feel tired enough to sleep, so he had chosen to take a little stroll to think.

He had really only seen Alys once in the past 24 hours since that scene in the street, and had left before she could say anything. He just couldn't bring himself to talk to her yet. Her words still hurt too much.

Of course, he wasn't sure if they were true or not. If Alys had been a dragon, he would have known for certain. But no, she was a human. A human that had spoken with enough conviction he believed her words to be true. He had hoped that…she cared for him the same way he did for her. Or that it was at the very least a possibility, given time. But at the moment, he was feeling a little hopeless.

The fact that neither his sister nor Eldeck had brought it up only added to this feeling of loss. Knowing Celedine, if she had thought that what Alys said wasn't what she truly felt, she would have reassured him of it by now. She already knew so much about humans—surely she could tell. And if she were too busy watching over her eggs, she would have at the very least sent her mate to tell him. But she hadn't, and the only reason he could think of was that there was nothing to assure him of.

He paused when he heard faint giggling, accompanied by excited whispers, coming from an adjacent hall. Curiosity got the better of him and he looked around the corner to see Lauren and some other servants meandering together as quietly as they could. They all quickly grew silent when they spotted him.

"Can't sleep?" Lauren cocked her head kindly. He just stared at her blankly, surprised to see them still awake at this hour.

"Your sister is in the courtyard," another girl piped up, pointing down the hall they had come from.  
"There's something she wanted to show you," Lauren finished, walking past him. "Good night, sir."

The other servant girls followed, none of them speaking as they disappeared down another corridor. Selendrile, puzzled, watched them leave before going to find his sister.

"Selendrile! What a pleasant surprise." Celedine smiled from where she stood in the doorway to the courtyard. "I was just about to go looking for you."

"What did you need to see me about?" he asked, crossing his arms. He wasn't about to get his hopes up, and just hoped that this would be quick.

"Come with me." She stepped back outside into the cool night air, and he followed. The dragoness led him to a remote part of the garden that was nevertheless as well-kept as the rest of it. Selendrile drew in a sharp breath at what his at what he saw.

A crudely carved stake was planted in the middle of a flowerbed with Alys leaning tiredly against hit, her hands bound behind her back and her head bowed. A crown of red flowers sat upon her head, and similar blossoms adorned her simple dress. Daffodil and Lilac stood several feet away to either side of her, holding flickering torches. Both were pointedly not looking at either Alys or himself.

"And before you ask—yes, she knows _exactly _what she is doing," Celedine stated.

"And that would be…" Selendrile swallowed hard, not sure he wanted to know. A familiar scent was just barely noticeable in the air, but it was drowned out by other smells, so that he couldn't process it. And something about the scene itself seemed innately recognizable, as though he should know what this was.

"A soul sacrifice," she said, shrugging, as she led him closer. "I think it needs a better name. But I wasn't there when the rules were written."

Selendrile felt his blood go cold—he could make out the intricate dark brown markings painted on Alys's face and arms. A "soul sacrifice," as the ancients had named it, was as much a peace treaty as it was a cultic ritual. It was one of many laws created by the fey for the humans to use as proper conduct when dealing with nonhuman creatures. Such things were rarely practiced now, and only in private if at all. This particular ceremony was one of tribute or enslavement. The human took part in a spell that gave a specific fey control over their free will—or in other words, sacrificed their soul to them. Selendrile, like most properly raised young dragons, had been taught these things by his elders when he was still very young. Still, something about this scene didn't quite match up with what he remembered. But it had been so long ago he couldn't be sure.

"You know how to do this, don't you?" Celedine handed him a bowl of dark liquid and a knife, "Just a drop of your own blood is all it takes to complete the mixture."

He nodded his head numbly, and knelt in front of Alys, still finding this all hard to believe. Alys was so free spirited. Why would she ever give that up like this?

"Did you really agree to this?" he sighed, speaking quietly.

Alys took a deep breath and nodded. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice scarcely audible. "I-I didn't mean what I said…"

He blinked. "This is going a little far, though, isn't it? You could have just said so."

"Would you have believed me?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He opened his mouth to respond, but realized she was probably right. He looked down at the objects in his hands, suddenly feeling very relieved. Then he simply let the bowl fall to the ground, spilling its contents into the earth.

"I'm not going to do this to you," as he spoke, he reached around her, using the knife to cut the ropes, "I can't."

"Why not?" Alys gave him a startled look. Selendrile only grinned.  
"What fun would you be if you did everything I say without argument?"

She rolled her eyes, "So you believe me then?"

"Perhaps," he said, raising his eyebrows. "It depends on what you wanted me to believe. I don't think you've made it clear yet."

"That I…didn't mean what I said yesterday?" She blushed slightly, hoping he couldn't tell in the firelight. Then she remembered—he wasn't human. He could probably see her just fine.

"Very well then, I believe that," he shrugged, "But if that whole speech was a lie, then what's the truth?"

Her blush grew, and Daffodil and Lilac giggled, reminding Alys they weren't alone Celedine gave them both a look and motioned for them to follow her so that the two could be alone. The fairies took the torches with them, leaving only the moonlight. Alys shifted uneasily, refusing to look at him, although she knew he was smirking. Oh, he knew exactly what she was getting at, all right. But he was going to make her say it anyway. Stupid dragon.

"I-I…" she gulped, "I th-think I've come to l-love you," she stammered, glaring at him when she noticed the pleased look on his face. "Happy now?"

"Mm. Not quite," he grinned deviously at her, and moved closer. She suddenly realized just how close they were already. He was leaning over her a bit, and hand resting on the ground to either side of her.

She did not have much time to dwell on that, however, as Selendrile firmly pressed his lips to hers, causing the back of her head to rest against the stake behind her. Much to her annoyance, she just about swooned as he continued to kiss her with gentle affection. Again, stupid dragon. Although she was quickly finding she rather liked this more than she hated it.

He pulled away shortly, but not very far, and licked his lips playfully. He then nuzzled against her ear, smirking at the fact that she still hadn't moved or said anything.

"_Now_ I do believe I'm quite happy," he whispered. Alys finally regained enough self-control to roll her eyes.

"Well, good for you," Alys muttered, crossing her arms. Selendrile chuckled, and was about to speak again when he caught a strong whiff of that odd scent again. And this time, he realized what it was. He glanced cautiously at the markings on Alys's face, and then came closer, briefly licking her cheek with his tongue. She squeaked with surprise and jerked away, glaring at him.

He only smirked, though he was carefully investigating the almost metallic taste in his mouth. Blood. And not just any blood, but the blood of a dragon. His expression turned slightly puzzled, earning him another odd look from Alys. Now that he thought about it, the markings on her face didn't look right. This was a completely different spell. He gaze fell on the knife he had been holding earlier, and he noted that there seemed to be flecks of unwashed blood on it as well.

"Selendrile?" Alys gave him a worried look, finding his behavior odd to say the least. He looked up at her again, but something else caught his eye behind her. His sister was watching quietly, partially hidden behind a hedge with a smug look on his face. He could almost hear her mocking voice in his ears taunting "You are so predictable." He blinked, and she giggled silently before walking away.

For the second time that night, he felt a tremendous surge of relief. Celedine had never intended for Alys to give him her soul; she had known he wouldn't allow it. But Celedine also wasn't the type to commit an act of kindness like this in a manner that would be seen by everyone. Especially if it involved Alys.

"Are you ok?" Alys's voice cut through his thoughts once again. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I apologize. I was just thinking of something." He shook his head, smiling.

"I noticed," Alys sighed. "Can we go to bed now? I'm tired."

Selendrile smirked at her and raised an eyebrow, and her face paled as she suddenly realized what she had just said. "I-I-I didn't mean go to bed in the same…

_bed_!" she snapped defensively.

"Of course you didn't," Selendrile stated slyly, standing up. He would have offered her his hand to help her get up, but he was pressing his luck as it was.

"Why you…" the human girl muttered darkly.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked in a bored tone, starting to walk away. He heard her curse under her breath as she hurried to stand up and catch up with him. He just chuckled softly to himself. A startled shriek of alarm caused him to spin around quickly. He watched silently as the markings on her body seemed to dissolve into her skin, and sighed with relief.

"What happened?" She looked at him anxiously, worried that the spell had somehow mysteriously completed itself.

"It's fine, Alys. Don't worry," he assured her. She nodded, looking relieved, and he laughed again. Now that she knew she didn't have to give him control of her soul, it was the last thing she wanted to do. But he couldn't blame her, really.

"Shall we?" he offered his arm to her, cocking his head. She gave him a suspicious look for a brief moment, before taking it, and allowing him to escort her back into the manor. Despite her stubbornness, she soon found herself smiling.

Selendrile had a wistful look on his face as they headed back to their room. Finally, she was safe. Celedine had sealed her with her own blood, and now she was under his sister's protection. He pulled the human girl a little closer, though she didn't seem to notice. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Frog: So that's finally done. So this is the edited version now, I replaced the original. This one is better, don't worry. Anyways, sorry again for how long this took. I'll try to get the next one done sooner. Please review! Bye!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: I apologize that this took so long, I had two week long trips that were only two days apart, and didn't have time to do much with this other than send it to Lady Kellyn for beta reading. But it's up now. The chapter is kind of short, but it's one of those times when you just need to put some important stuff up. And for any of you that are disappointed, there will be much more of Selendrile next chapter!

_imaginedreams22--_It's not over yet, don't worry. I'm not sure where you got that idea from, and I'm sorry if I implied it.

* * *

One Week Later:

A lot had changed for Alys in the past week. Mostly it was her relationship with Selendrile, but there were a few other changes as well. Especially how Lauren treated her, always giving her "I told you so" sort of looks.

But back to Selendrile. At first, Alys found it slightly awkward for him to have a romantic interest in her, and even now it still felt a little odd. The differences in how he treated her were subtle, but she had no trouble noticing them. Perhaps the most shocking change was that he was actually quite polite to her, almost chivalrous at times. But he still got that annoying smirk on his face whenever she gave him a look of surprised. She was beginning to wonder if that was the _real _reason behind his change of behavior.

"Alys!," Celedine called from outside her room in a surprisingly pleasant voice. Alys sighed. Somehow, she dreaded what was to come when she opened that door.

The dragoness greeted her with the human equivalent of a warm smile, although the human girl doubted it was very sincere.

"Did you need something?" she cocked her head at the noblewoman, her expression blank.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me on a visit to one of the local inns," Celedine explained. Alys could only blink.

"Why?_"_ she then added _mentally, 'would I_ ever _want to accompany you?Now that I think about it, why would you want _me _to accompany you?'_

"Hm. Perhaps Selendrile didn't fully explain it all to you..." the dragoness mused, tapping her chin daintily., "You _do _know that Selendrile will have to stay here after the eggs hatch, right?"

"Yeah..."Alys stepped out of her room, and closed the door. It wasn't like she had anything better to do anyways. And she was tired of people not telling her things.

The noblewoman started walking down the hall, and she followed.

"And so, considering recent events, you will be staying as well," she continued.

"I guess," the human girl shrugged.

"Well, due to the fact that Selendrile must remain in his dragon state during the daylight hours, someone must act as my replacement when he's unavailable," Celedine explained, seeming to choose her words carefully. One couldn't be sure if this was out of habit when dealing with delicate subjects that involved humans, or if she really was taking care to what she said.

Alys froze, her breath catching in her throat for a moment, "You aren't seriously going to make _me _you stand-in, are you?"

"You don't have to do much," the dragoness sighed casually, "You would mostly be serving as a figurehead. Edgar's ancestor was the original leader of this town, and will be able to handle most of the troubles that may arise. But the people will need _you _to stay as a symbol of my contract with them, and to serve as lady in the event we receive guests."

The human girl looked down thoughtfully. She didn't like the sound of Celedine's latest "scheme," as she saw it. But at least this time the dragoness hadn't beat around the bush.

"So...I have to start acting like you?" she asked skeptically.

"Only if the situation calls for it.," Celedine nodded curtly., "Don't worry, Edgar and Lauren will be here to assist and guide you. And as long as I'm still here, I might as well give you some training. Not that there's much I can do, but I think you could use a bit of polishing."

"Sounds like fun..." Alys muttered sarcastically with a heavy sigh.

"Make that sanding, or even… " the noblewoman corrected herself, "Stand up straight please."

"Hm?" Alys jumped slightly at the command. Celedine just shook her head tiredly.

"You've done this before. You are soon to be the Lady of this entire valley. I would like you to act as such when you are in public."

"Umm...o-ok..." Alys swallowed hard as they came to the entry hall. She took a deep, steadying breath, and tried to do as Celedine said. She really didn't want to, but knowing how dragons were, she wasn't going to be given any other options. Celedine nodded her approval. She watched her out of the corner of her eye, until the guards opened the front doors, and they went out into the village.

Alys didn't really try hard to look like a noblewoman, but even that little bit of change felt somewhat awkward to her. She didn't like the idea of pretending she was above everyone. And she had never desired to be a member of the higher class in the past that she could recall. It just wasn't the kind of lifestyle she enjoyed. She had been sick of the manor's luxuries a minute after entering the place, and wasn't about to start liking them. Sadly, however, she was stuck here.

They soon arrived at the establishment, which just so happened to be the very same inn she and Selendrile had been planning to stay in when they first arrived. Celedine chatted pleasently and discussed a business matter with the owner, but Alys had mostly tuned them out. Many of the inn's patrons watched them curiously—, all recalling the recent near- hanging, no doubt—and making her feel a bit uncomfortable. The building served as a popular gathering place for the locals in the afternoons when they finished work, but she was sure there must be a few outsiders as well.

"You remember Alys, don't you?" Celedine's voice cut through her into her thoughts. The man studied her closely for a moment.

"Ah yes. You came here asking for a room, but then the whole business with the other dragon came along. Oh!" he held up his hand, signalling for them to wait a minute as he hurried to a back room. When he returned, he extended a handful of silver coins to her, "We never had the chance to give it back to you. I think this is about what you paid."

"Oh," Alys sheepishly averted her eyes, "I-it's fine. You can keep it."

"No. I couldn't," the man bowed his head, "I earn an honest livin'. It wouldn't be right."

"Nonsense," Celedine put a hand on her hip, "You would not refuse a gift from your future lady, would you?"

"I-I—," the man looked back at Alys in surprise., "M-my apologies, miss. I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't offend me. Don't worry about it.," the human girl waved her hand attempting a dismissive gesture, and pursing her lips.

He bowed again and went back to his work. Meanwhile, the rest of the building had erupted into excited murmurs. Celedine looked around at the others, before turning on her heel and heading out the door. Alys followed as best she could.

"I _really _don't think I'm cut out for this," she sighed quietly so only the dragoness could hear her.

"Alys, child, _anyone _can sit on a throne and wear a crown. From what I have observed before coming here, it is not uncommon for one person to be portrayed as the leader of a people, when really someone else is ruling. As I said, you will be little more than a figurehead. I won't be far away, should an emergency arise, and the townsfolk will see Selendrile as their ruler in my stead, being as he is also a dragon," Celedine explained, her lips turning from a faint smile to a nearly imperceptible frown., " And though it pains me to admit it—, if the need arose, I'm quite certain you could lead these people through the darkest of hours."

Alys just stared at her, though the older woman's eyes remained looking straight ahead. It was obvious that the dragoness had been reluctant to mention it, but apparently this issue was important enough that she was willing to sacrifice some of her pride.

Before anything else could be said, however, Daffodil came up to them, her wings beating quickly. She glanced worriedly at Alys, and then whispered something to Celedine. The noblewoman paused, but otherwise looked unsurprised by whatever she had been told. At the same time, Selendrile landed in front of the town gates not far away. He shifted his weight irritably as he watched them over his shoulder.

"Alys, find shelter. Daffodil, tell the guards to raise the alarm," Celedine instructed calmly, and then looked down at herself with a sigh as she muttered to herself, "Such a shame. I rather liked this dress..."

She shifted to her dragon form, shredding said dress, and knocking a few shingles on the nearby buildings loose with her wings as she used them to propell herself over the wall. Daffodil didn't waste a breath, but fluttered away to the nearest guard tower, from which a horn was blown shortly after. The curious onlookers of the city began to hurriedly make their ways into the nearest buildings.

Alys stood where she was in confusion, again at a loss as to what was going on. A few people in the crowd paused, or opened windows towards where the two golden dragons were watching.

Alys shielded her eyes, trying to see as well, and gasped when she spotted it. Coming in from the north were the forms of three full- grown dragons, the golden scales glistening in the afternoon sun. She remembered Celedine's command, and held her head up high.

A noblewoman shouldn't back away from something that may endanger her people, right? Since she was going to be the "ruler" of this little town, neither should she. So she walked purposefully toward the two siblings, stopping near Selendrile's hind leg as the newcomers approached.

Perhaps it was foolish of her to be so bold, but she was tired of dragons telling her what to do.

Selendrile looked down at her with a small growl, as though to tell her she shouldn't be here, but she just gave him a look of innocence, as though she didn't understand why he was mad at her. Celedine chuckled to herself, and smirked at him as only dragon's can.

"Stubborn little thing, isn't she?" she mused to her brother in their tongue.

"What did you tell her?" he snapped with a low hiss.

"_I _told her to go take shelter. But she isn't the most obedient human," the dragoness sighed.

Selendrile growled again in frustration. He was unable to communicate with Alys very well in his dragon state. But he supposed she wouldn't likely listen to him if he were able to go into his human form and argue with her right now either. Besides, there wasn't time for that. Their _guests _were landing, barely a hundred yards away. Selendrile coiled his tail around Alys just enough to make it so she couldn't move any closer, and also so he could protect her more easily if need be. Without a doubt, this was _not _going to be a pleasant family reunion...

* * *

Frog: Well, that's the end of that one. I have a request, if any of you know of any good dragon-ish type names for me to use, could you let me know? I know of a site I can look at some, but I hate having to choose, and am kind of busy having just got back. I have a girl one (stole it from my sister), and so I need some boy ones for the next chapter. So thank you! And please review anyways, even if you don't have a suggestion! Bye!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: Sorry this took so long. I've been writing too much, and it's kind of burned me out. All my stories are suffering. In other news, there were so many good names you guys gave, I'm just sorry I couldn't use them all. So what I have is Ireshnivade (from my little sister), Raoul (from CharmedNightSkye), Halcyon (from mango pie, which I think the meaning of is perfectly ironic), and lastly Leventhan (from the game Odin Sphere, which I have been playing to much of, so I had to go and name a character after my favorite little boss).

_spygirly--_To be honest, I haven't quite decided how much of a figurehead she's going to be. I've been trying to make her seem cabable of doing more, but it's still up in the air to an extent.

_CharmedNightSkye_--There's more romance in this chapter. I'm not the best at writing such scenes, but I hope it's satisfactory at least.

Frog: Again, thank you everyone for the name suggestions. I honestly wasn't expecting so many, so I had to ask my sister's for help. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, even though it took a long time to finish.

_italics--flashback_

* * *

As the three full-grown adult dragons stepped closer, Selendrile caught sight of another, smaller form among them. Was that a young dragon? He couldn't be sure, as it was now effectively hidden behind the others.

"Greetings, my lord. To what do we owe the tremendous honor of a visit from our chieftain Halcyon?" Celedine greeted, a warm tone in her voice. However, her words still carried an cold edge to their guests.

Selendrile looked carefully at the closest dragon, who had a large golden pendant adorning his neck. He was quite large for a golden dragon, and bore many scars with battle-torn wings. But that was no surprise. For, even though dragons often acted regal and above most other creatures, their "government," so to speak, was terribly barbaric. Their leaders were the strongest of their breed, and were always having to kill off anyone who tried to take their position from them. Halcyon had been chieftain for many centuries, but this was the first time Selendrile had ever set eyes on him

The other two he was much more familiar with: his own mother and father. Both dragons anxiously looked back and forth from him to Celedine. He could only guess they hadn't yet spotted Alys standing near his hind leg.

"Save your pleasantries for the humans," Halcyon spat, "We are here to discuss matters with your brother, not you!"

Celedine snorted indignantly, for it wasn't uncommon for dragon's to show a lack of respect for their leaders like this. "Very well. Say what you will to him. I've already tried everything."

"Selendrile. "His father, Raoul turned to him, his voice stern. "You must cease this foolishness. We cannot allow you to mate with a human."

"I don't see why not," Selendrile commented, "It's happened before."

"In other, lesser breeds, yes," Halcyon hissed with disgust, "but _you _are a _golden_ dragon! We are the greatest of our race, and such a bond will not be tolerated!"

Selendrile only growled defensively, arching his back like a cat. The old chieftain continued to glower at him until something else caught his eye. Alys had her arms crossed on Selendrile's tail, her chin resting on her hands. She looked surprisingly calm, despite the three intimidating dragons that stood before them.

"Please, my son," his mother, Ireshnivade, begged, seeing the bloodthirsty look in Halcyon's eyes, "If you value that girl's life enough to mate with her, then stop this nonsense and return her to her kind."

"Oh, be quiet, Ireshnivade. Everyone knows she will be killed regardless. I warned you there's no reasoning with him."

The other dragons backed down ever so slightly, but not because of the comment. Rather, it was due to the use of her mother's name. For a dragon, that was the same as renouncing your parents. Even Selendrile was shocked.

"Well then..." Halcyon coughed, his eyes growing cold again. "I suppose there's only one option left, isn't there."

He roared loudly, and lunged for Selendrile's neck with his jaws. Alys shrieked, but the dragon's large teeth never hit their mark, instead embedding themselves in Celedine's tail. The dragoness grunted in pain as Halcyon released her and roared again.

"M-my lord, please," Ireshnivade implored, "They are both still so young. You needn't kill them."

"And why shouldn't I?" he hissed, fixing her with his penetrating gaze and flashing his large teeth, "You have more offspring."

As he spoke, he whipped his tail around behind them, snapping against something that let out a cry of protest. A small golden dragon, perhaps only as big as a donkey, bounded out from behind its parents and under its mother with a whimper. Ireshnivade nuzzled it reassuringly, and Celedine and Selendrile looked on curiously.

"Besides," Celedine looked back at Halcyon with a dragonish smirk. "You can't rightfully kill any of us anyway."

The chieftain sighed heavily and glared at her. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"First, I have made a promise to protect both this town and the girl with a dragon. Second, because it is against our ways to kill a mother before her clutch hatches. I believe it would also be improper for me to raise my little ones here, among the humans, in their early stages, and so Selendrile has agreed to watch over the town for me." Halcyon gave her a skeptical look, so she added, "Test my magic, and tell me I'm wrong."

She swung her injured tail slowly back around so that it was closer to him, some blood dripping on the ground. Tasting another dragon's blood was the only surefire way they could know what spells that particular individual had cast, including blood pacts. Halcyon lowered his head, lapping at the wound a few times before standing up straight again, his eyes closed. After a moment he uttered a low growl of irritation.

"You needn't worry one bit about our reputation," Celedine continued after a moment, "I'll see to it that the other breeds of dragons, and even our own kind will be unaware that the girl is still alive. Outside these walls, no one will be able to tell for certain."

"You can insure that this will be take ncare of?" Halcyon muttered, glaring briefly at Alys.

"You have my word. The issue will be resolved within the week." Celedine bowed deeply.

"Very well," The chieftain turned back to Selendrile. "You may keep your...pet. But don't give me reason to come after you again."

"Y-yes, sire," Selendrile nodded, coiling his tail a little closer around Alys. And with that, Halcyon took to the air with a mighty roar and vanished.

"I am...sorry to have offended you, mother," Celedine lowered her head a bit, her voice soft.

Ireshnivade just looked at her before nodding slowly, "You always were overly protective of him," she mused.

The little dragon started to creep closer. By instinct it knew its siblings, but it wasn't sure if they would be aggressive or not. So his movements were hesitant.

"It's alright, Leventhan," Raoul reassured it, "They won't bite."

"Oh. Ok!" the little one chirped and bounded closer. Celedine cocked her head at him, and greeted him affectionately as Selendrile looked on with uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Alys had figured that it was probably safe to come out now, so she hoisted herself up and over Selendrile's tail, and approached Leventhan with a curious look on her face. The small dragon tensed, and backed away a few steps.

"It's ok. I won't hurt you," she crooned. Leventhan watched her a moment before cautiously crawling closer and allowing her to pet his forehead. Soon the little dragon was purring and licking her cheek.

"See? She's not _too _bad," Celedine chuckled, turning to her parents.

Ireshnivade closed her eyes thoughtfully. "You take care of each other now."

"We don't want to come back here again, if we can help it," her mate added.

"Of course." Their daughter inclined her head.

"Let's go, Leventhan. It's getting dark," Ireshnivade called. The little dragon pouted.

"Yes, mother," he mumbled. She helped him onto her back, and then she and Raoul took off into the darkening evening sky.

"Well, that was fun," Celedine chuckled, causing her brother to roll his eyes.

* * *

"_Why_ did you follow Celedine?" Selendrile growled, finally having been able to transform after an hour of thinking about what he was going to say to Alys once the sun set.

"She said I was going to have to be a noblewoman in this town. So I thought I might start doing my job now." She shrugged, not used to seeing him so agitated—he was pacing back and forth.

"I don't see how that was doing your job. You had no idea what was being said!" he muttered, shaking his head.

She still didn't seem to care, and only raised an eyebrow at him. "You honestly think that I would go and cower in some building until it was safe to come out?"

He sighed heavily, "No. I suppose not," He sat down on one of the chairs, "They were just...planning to kill you, is all..."

"But they didn't," she pointed out. Celedine had told her about what happened earlier, so the shock had already worn off.

He grumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite make out before using a normal voice. "Please try to be more careful. That's all I ask. I don't want to lose you, Alys."

She looked shyly down at her hands when he said that. He was now staring into the empty fireplace, deep in thought. The human girl looked at him again, thinking about something else Celedine had been talking to her about earlier.

"_So how is you relationship with Selendrile coming along?," the dragoness asked, looking up from her desk. __Aly shrugged._

"_Good...I guess." She paused a moment,__"I don't really know what to expect."_

"_Hm. I thought so," the older woman muttered with a hint of disgust. "And, as it turns out, neither does he."_

"_What do you mean?" Alys gave her a questioning look as she sat down in one of the chairs._

_Celedine put her pen down and folded her hands daintily on her desk. "As much as Selendrile likes to act as though he's smarter than you'll ever be, he is completely clueless about human courtship."_

"_So? He's a dragon. He doesn't have to know that stuff, does he?" Alys felt some heat creep into her cheeks._

"_One would think that, but he is very concerned with doing this correctly, as far as you are concerned. I guess it's to make you feel more comfortable, since our mating rituals consist of flying and other things that you are incapable of doing._

"_So," she continued, sounding weary. "You will have to __show __him __how to correctly court you."_

_Alys just stared at her, dumbfounded, her blush deepening, "And what you mean by that is..."_

"_I suppose the human term would be, you have to make the first move." She gestured lazily with her hand and went on. "You know, you have to flirt with him, instigate tender moments—cute little human things like that. He'll catch on eventually."_

"_I'm not sure I know how to do those things either." She hung her head, trying to hide her face from the dragoness._

"_You could always ask Lauren to help you," Celedine, said smirking._

"_No! No, that's __ok__," Alys gulped, getting up to leave, "I'll try to come up with something."_

"_Have fun," the dragoness called as the human girl went out the door._

She had spent what little time she had after that trying to mentally prepare herself for what she was going to try to do. If Selendrile hadn't come in here in the state he was in, she probably would have panicked. But now the thought of trying to, well, court him, wasn't _so_ bad.

"I'll...try," she began, sitting next to him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and she saw a brief flicker of relief before he went back to his thoughts.

Alys bit her lip, debating on what to do. She was so afraid of him rejecting her. It had been her fear for a long time, even though he claimed that he loved her. He was still a dragon, and he'd always been unpredictable. Finally she forced herself to take a quiet, steadying breath, and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

He tensed for a moment, his eyes unmoving, but it only lasted for a second before he relaxed again. Then he hesitantly wrapped his arm loosely around her waist, watching her out of the corner of his eye as though he expected her to pull away at any given moment. She just tilted her head up at him with a small smile, her cheeks turning pinker with each beat of her heart.

He returned her smile with one of his more dragonish ones, though this one didn't seem quite so arrogant Then he nuzzled her hair a bit, breathing in her scent, and making her blush more.

Alys had to admit, she actually felt very safe all of a sudden, and considerably more relaxed now that the knots in her stomach were gone. She leaned more against him, pulling her knees partway onto his lap. He placed his other hand on her knee, and she could have sworn his breathing suddenly sounded more like purring.

Now, what could she do next? After thinking about it a moment, she realized there was really only one option. So she looked up at him once again, cupping his cheek with one of her hands. He just looked at her with one of those unreadable, but at the same time very pleased looks, and she froze, getting nervous again. This time, however, Selendrile seemed to know what she had in mind, and pulled her closer into a gentle, but very possessive, kiss.

His purring seemed more distinct now as he continued to kiss her. Alys kissed him back timidly. She knew she must not be very good at it. Even when they were pretending to be a couple, he would only kiss her forehead, her cheek, or her hand—never like this. She also noted that she liked this kiss better than the first one they shared just a few days ago.

Finally he pulled away, allowing her to breathe, though he wasn't bothered by the lack of air at all. _Must be a dragon thing_, she thought. He buried his face in the hair that lay over the crook of her neck, making her blush again as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

There was a knock at the door, before it opened and Lauren walked in. "Lady Alys, I have this...Oh!" she gasped, dropping her tray and spilling some hot drink all over herself and the floor. She blushed furiously as Alys jumped and Selendrile just rolled his eyes at both of them. Really, what was so surprising to that silly girl? Alys was a bit jumpy at times anyway, so her actions were excusable. Just not the maid's, considering that she had been bugging Alys about this for the longest time, or so he had been told.

"I-I'm so s-s-sorry, I um..." She quickly brushed the broken cups out into the hall with her foot and slammed the door shut.

Alys blinked a few times, and then sighed. She was still nestled in Selendrile's arms. Without a word, he picked her up, cradling her carefully, as he went toward her bed.

"You should rest. It's late," he murmured. She looked up at him in surprise as he set her down on the bed. She said nothing though, having noticed now how tired she felt, and slid under the covers. Selendrile stood by her bedside, watching her, and Alys began to wonder if he was hoping for an invitation. The thought made her blush. She saw a smirk in his eyes, though the rest of his expression remained as innocent as he could make it.

After a moment, she gave him a small smile and scooted over, motioning for him to join her. Inwardly she was worried about what he was expecting, but was relieved when he simply wrapped his arms around her protectively and encouraged her to sleep with words and by gently rubbing her back. She had to admit, she slept better that night than any other she could remember.

* * *

Frog: I still don't know what I think of that scene...Oh well. I love to write romance, but I'm always worried it's too fluffy and whatnot. Thank you everyone who's still reading this, and Lady Kellyn for being an awsome beta reader! Please review and let me know what you think. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be, since I'm still deciding on how to end it. Bye!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Dragon's Bait

Frog: Yay I live!! Barely. Sorry this took so long everyone, college has been taking up a lot of my time XP Hope you all understand. But at least I've stuck with this story, right? So here's the next chapter. I switch the point of view a lot because I want the traditions of both races to be witnessed by someone who doesn't understand them. It just seemed more interesting to me that way. Oh, and Selendrile reminds me a lot of a character in a book I've been working on for a few years now, so that's basically where I got the idea for the dragon mating ritual. And as always, thank you so much to Lady Kellyn for still Beta reading this despite how long it's taken me to update! Hope you guys like it, and thanks for still reading!

* * *

1 week later:

Selendrile walked into his sister's manor as the last flecks of color vanished from the clouds. He had returned home later than usual, not on purpose, of course, but he had found himself involved in a personal mission that had taken a bit longer than he thought it would. He nodded politely to the guards as he entered, and set about trying to find Alys.

Now that he was finally getting the hang of things, he actually found human courtship to be quite enjoyable. It wasn't nearly as formal as traditional dragon courtship, and in all honesty, he couldn't see Alys participating in such rituals willingly. He loved the way she reacted to his affection. She always blushed and got nervous, and he exploited that every chance he got. Not that he wanted to be mean, but it was much more fun when she felt awkward. He knew this innocence would only last so long.

In other good news, Celedine had completely backed off! Well...almost. She rarely left her nest, and even when he did see her, she never brought up politics or the job that he and Alys were to take up. And Alys never complained about her anymore, so he could only assume that Celedine was like that all day. She simply did what work that needed to be done, giving him a slight smile when he spotted her. But he knew it was coming. She wouldn't wait forever for them to adjust to being lovers…in the purest sense of the word. Time was of the essence, and a luxury he knew they did not have.

"Well if it isn't my _favorite _little brother in-law." Of course, not all annoyances were gone.

"Did you need something, Eldeck? I'm in a bit of hurry," Selendrile sighed. What his sister saw in the bronze dragon, he didn't know. Strength, perhaps? Bronze dragons were much larger than the noble Golden dragons. They were often brutes, though more sophisticated than your average human. But there was a reason the Golden dragons were considered the most refined of all breeds. Then again, he didn't really have the right to an opinion when it came to romance with someone outside the norm.

"Young miss Alys isn't here, if that's who you're looking for." The older dragon stretched his wings out behind him a few times. Selendrile silently guessed that he had returned from a late afternoon flight.

"Where did she go, then?" he asked curiously. She rarely went anywhere outside the manor, or so he thought. He knew he shouldn't worry about her. No one in Drenn would dare harm Celedine's daughter-in-law. Celedine had gone to great lengths to ensure that the townsfolk believed that Selendrile and Alys were already wed, for the sake of the human girl's reputation, if nothing else.

"I'm not her keeper," Eldeck snorted indignantly. "Lauren dragged her off somewhere."

"You're so unbelievably helpful." Selendrile rolled his eyes. "Now, did you need something, or not?"

"Actually, _you're_ the one who needs something. Celedine instructed me to give this to you." Eldeck handed him a small box, and then started to walk off. "If you don't know what to do with it, I suggest you ask Edgar."

Selendrile blinked, and then carefully peaked inside to view the box's contents. All that was inside was a small, insignificant looking ring with a few small gems embedded in it. He cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what exactly its use was. It was obviously too small for him, so for Alys maybe? But why couldn't Celedine or her mate give it to her themselves? Puzzled, he decided to seek out Edgar before looking for her.

He found the steward searching through books in the manor's small library just across the hall from his sister's office. As soon as the human noticed him, he quickly set down what he was doing and bowed. "Good day, milord. Do you need assistance with something?"

"Yes, actually. What can you tell me about this?" He opened his hand, revealing the box. Edgar took it gingerly and opened it. A small smile came to his face, and he snapped it shut, and gave it back.

"It's an old human tradition, is all," the elderly man chuckled, "Her ladyship was beginning to worry that you may go straight to the mating ritual and poor Alys wouldn't have a clue as to what was going on. Present this to her, and I'm sure she'll get the hint."

Selendrile eyed him skeptically, "...But it's just a ring."

"Not just a ring, a diamond ring," Edgar corrected him. "Human men give them to women to propose marriage."

Selendrile still looked confused. "Why?"

"It's romantic, I suppose. No one seems to know the real reason behind it," Edgar shrugged, looking back through the bookshelves again, "Anything else, milord?"

"No. I suppose that's all," Selendrile sighed, walking out of the room. He paused to look at the ring again, still not making any sense of it. But it didn't matter. If this was a gesture Alys would understand, he should probably go through with it. Now all he had to do was _find _the girl.

Walking back to the entry hall, he asked one of the guards if they had any idea where Lauren had taken her. No results. He would just have to wonder around town until either he found them or found someone who would help him find them.

----------

Celedine lay still, coiled around her precious nest. She was half-asleep, remaining alert of her surroundings, but being a dragon, she didn't actually need all the rest she took. Heavy footfalls near the entrance told her that Eldeck was back, and she raised her head to greet him. The bronze dragon nuzzled her affectionately before lying down near her where he, too, could keep a close watch on the sleeping eggs.

"...I'm not sure that was the best idea..." Eldeck finally muttered with a sigh.

She gave him a look, "And why not?"

"Because neither one of them understands the other's customs anyway." He rested his head wearily on the ground, "Selendrile thinks it's a pointless idea, I could tell from the look in his eyes, and Alys...I think she might have a panic attack when Selendrile takes her to wherever he set up that nest..."

"Hm..." Celedine looked down in thought, "Ah, well. More entertainment for us I suppose. Besides, it's not like we can actually help them through it. The least we can do is lessen the surprise for Alys, and that's what the ring is for."

Eldeck grunted, closing his eyes, and Celedine shook her head before freezing, the look in her eyes turning sharp and agitated. Eldeck tensed as well, raising his head suddenly and looking around. They both had heard something, but they weren't quite sure what. The scarcely audible noise was heard again, allowing the two adults to pinpoint its location. The nest itself....

----------

"Lauren, really, I don't need to be doing this," Alys sighed tiredly for the tenth time that evening as the tailor measured her height.

"But the dresses we have for you don't fit perfectly enough. They're all a little too large," the servant girl pouted, "Don't you want garments that fit you properly?"

"In all honesty, I don't really care," Alys muttered. The tailor chuckled, and lifted her arm to measure it.

"Oh, Alys. Don't be like that," Lauren sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Lady Alys," another tailor who had been running the front room of the shop, "I believe your husband is looking for you. He's wandering about outside in the street."

"Does that mean I can go?" Alys gave Lauren an almost pleading look. The servant girl bit her lip and looked at the tailor that had been measuring her.

"Go right ahead, ma'am." The older woman nodded. "I think I have enough measurements to make a fine dress for you."

"Joy," Alys mumbled to herself as she made her way to the door, Lauren in tow. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?'

"Huh? Oh, right. Alone time," Lauren giggled, winking. "Goodbye, lady Alys! Be sure you two don't stay out too late!"

Alys rolled her eyes, but nodded anyway as Lauren headed back to the manor. She walked up to Selendrile who was currently surveying another street to see if he could find her. But as we all know, it's impossible to sneak up on a dragon, so he turned around expectantly before she even had a chance to.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked dryly, noting the shop she appeared to have just come from.

"What are you doing back so late? You could have saved me from that!" Alys whined, crossing her arms. Selendrile just smirked at her.

"I apologize." He bowed low to her. She stared at him. Did he really just say that?!

"Wait, do you actually mean that?" Alys glared at him, "Wait, of course you don't. You're a dragon after all."

"Really? I completely forgot!"

"Oh, be quiet."

"Very well, if that's what you want."

"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow at him. He simply looked at her, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side, but said absolutely nothing. After a moment of neither of them saying anything, he turned and started to go. He glanced at her over his shoulder, indicating that she was supposed to follow. Alys let out a frustrated sigh and hurried to catch up with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked when she finally couldn't take it anymore. He was leading her to the town gates, but she had no idea why. It was getting dark out, and Selendrile never took her out after dark.

However, Selendrile only gave her a grin, and didn't speak. Alys glowered hatefully at him. It was just like him to take what she said about being quiet literally when he knew it would annoy her. Soon they had left the safety of Drenn, and were out in the fields again. He led her to a nearby tree and walked behind it to change. This had become mostly routine, so Alys waited patiently on the other side until the tree shook as Selendrile's large, scaly form brush against it. Alys poked her head around the trunk just as a large claw snatched her from the ground with a small squeak, and Selendrile took to the skies.

Alys soon caught her breath, and was able to admire the view below them. She had gotten used to flying over the time she and Selendrile had travelled, but they hadn't gone anywhere for a long time. She forgot how relaxing it was, especially compared to going on foot.

But all too soon, she found the ground getting closer and closer, until she could make out individual flowers growing in the tall grass. Selendrile carelessly let her fall into some nearby bushes as he landed not far away. Alys sat up spitting out leaves, and struggled to free herself from the tangled branches.

When she finally managed to break free, Selendrile was nowhere in sight. She looked around, feeling a little worried. But her companion soon showed himself once more, having transformed to his human form and even changed into a distinguished looking outfit. He gave her a slight smile, cocking his head to the side. She gave him a questioning look, but he still wouldn't speak, and instead started walking behind the nearby grove of oaks and aspens. Alys sighed and began to follow him. After all, what else could she do?

----------

Selendrile watched closely as Alys came around the trees, looking somewhat irritated and even more confused, as always. But when she saw what he had made for her, she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide, and barely breathing. Selendrile watched her hopefully, praying that this was a good reaction. He had put so much time and effort into this.

Behind him was a large silver, table-like alter embellished with precious stones and some gold and copper, situated in the middle of a thick patch of flowers. The silver caught the light of the rising moon and shimmered in the dark as sunstones suspended from tree branches gave everything an even brighter glow. Some fireflies were buzzing lazily through the grass and flowers.

He cocked his head hopefully at her, and she looked back at him from the scene he had set up. She looked confused, but also in awe. That was good, right? He approached her gracefully, and held out a hand to her. She stared at him, still questioning, but took his hand anyways. He led her out to the alter, and had her sit down on it. Then he took the ring box out of his pocket and handed it to her. After all, if this would tell her what he was doing, it might be a good job to get it out of the way.

He watched patiently as she took the box and opened it. Much to his surprise, a look a recognition came to her eyes right away. Normally it took a moment for things to sink in, but to her the ring made perfect sense. Go figure. He watched with growing delight as a blush came to her cheeks and she averted her eyes shyly. But he could tell she was happy.

"Are you actually..." she murmured timidly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He gave her an inquisitive look, not sure what exactly she was trying to say. She giggled a bit. "A-are you actually asking me to...marry you?"

"Well, assuming that's what the ring is for, yes." He nodded his head decisively.

She blushed again, and tried the ring on. A perfect fit. She admired it for a moment, not sure what to say or do. She had been expecting this, maybe, he thought. After all, it had to happen eventually. He sighed heavily, hoping she was about done so that they could get to part two, the part where he actually knew what was supposed to happen.

"O-ok," Alys murmured, still feeling a little dazed. Selendrile was once again confused. Was there more to it? She saw his look and shook her head in amusement, "I'll marry you."

Selendrile raised an eyebrow at her. Hadn't they already established that? She was in no real position to refuse, after all, unless she really did enjoy Celedine's nagging. However, maybe this was all a part of the strange custom he didn't understand. He nodded in acknowledgement. She smiled up at him, and rose her feet. Then, much to his delight, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him tentatively. And he made sure she knew she had nothing to be afraid of in doing so by returning it. They remained there for a moment before Selendrile nuzzled her neck and eventually pulled away to hold her at arms length.

----------

Alys watched him curiously as he stared back at her intently for a moment with shimmering amethyst eyes that seemed to take on a new life all their own. He then knelt down in front of her, head bowed and holding her hands tightly. Alys couldn't help but blush. What exactly was he doing now? Again he didn't move, hesitating for some reason.

"Selendrile?" Alys was starting to feel a little worried. Still he didn't move.

"Please. Sit," he finally said as though he had just decided on something, and she wasn't sure what. But she sat on the silver table like she had before. He remained in the same position, still holding tightly to her hands, the top of his head now resting against her knees.

Golden scales glistened up his arms and the back of his neck, causing Alys to gasp. It was probably some sort of demi-form, she guessed, but she had never seen it before, and it was more than a little startling. As he raised his head to look her in the eye again, she saw that his violet eyes had somehow become more gem-like, and could not be mistaken for those of a human any longer. She could feel them penetrating deep inside her, searching for any sign of fear or disgust. But he should know he wouldn't find any. After all, she had been around him this long, hadn't she? Had she been afraid of his dragon side, she would have left long ago.

Apparently satisfied, his eyes took on an uncertain, hesitant look. Alys wanted desperately to reassure him, but why did he need comfort? She didn't understand. All she could do was stare back silently, trying as hard as she could to convey her trust by acting calm when really her heart was threatening to jump from her chest. Selendrile looked away first, instead turning his attention to her hands, which he now brought closer to his face. Again a moment of hesitation.

Then in one quick breath of decision, he pulled her hands close to his mouth, and bit into them with four long, needle-like fangs, two into the back of each hand. Alys bit back a cry of pain and surprise, and closed her eyes tightly. It was over quickly, and in the blink of an eye Selendrile was back to his fully human form, and covered the bite marks with one of his hands to suppress the bleeding.

Alys forced her eyes open, biting her lip. She had no idea what had just happened but she knew there must be a reason. Selendrile's forehead was pressed into the back of his own hand, refusing to look at her, and she could have sworn he was trembling just a bit. With all thought of the pain in her hands gone, she quickly pried them out of his grip, and tilted his head up to look at her.

"Selendrile, it's ok," she whispered, moving to kneel next to him. His eyes widened slightly, and he forced her back down. She reluctantly did so, but bent over so that her face was closer to his. She knew now why he had been so nervous just moments before. He had been afraid of hurting her, both physically and emotionally. He didn't want to break her trust.

He finally began to calm down to a reasonable state and managed a small smile, though his eyes still searched hers for any sign of bitterness or distrust. She just smiled back at him and kissed his nose. Finally fully relieved, he sighed heavily, dropping his head again as she stroked his hair.

"You had best lie down," he murmured finally, "before you get much dizzier."

He looked back up at her, and for the first time Alys realized she had been swaying slightly. Looking around, her vision would blur and clear as though everything was spinning at a quickening pace. Alys winced as Selendrile helped her to lie on the altar, holding her hands tightly in his own as he looked down at her protectively.

"What's going...on..?" Alys blinked, trying to focus on his face. He smiled at her.

"Close your eyes. You need to relax," he instructed gently, as her body did so against her wishes. He stroked her hair, and began to explain. "I have claimed you as my own. Don't let this trouble you, it happens even to female dragons."

"Really?" she opened her eyes again, but felt too sleepy to keep them open for long.

"Just rest," Selendrile told her, "I'm not going anywhere."

Alys would have nodded, but found she was too tired to do so. Her head drooped to the side, and she fell sound asleep.

----------

Alys awoke before dawn the next morning, but the sky was light enough already for her to see the surrounding woods fairly well. She sat up, arching her back to stretch it out. Somehow, sleeping on the silver table hadn't been as painful as she thought it would be. Something in her hair was tickling her cheek, and she carefully removed it to see it was a flower. In fact, there were flowers all around her. Some were kinds that Celedine had told her about, and others were completely foreign to her.

"Good morning."

She jumped as Selendrile put his hands on her shoulders, and craned her neck to look back at him with a smile.

"Morning," she greeted him, and then gestured to the flowers scattered about her hair and dress. "I take it you got bored watching me sleep."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but was still smiling, "Maybe just a little." Without warning he pulled her off the altar and into a deep, passionate kiss. Alys squeaked in surprise but quickly melted in his arms. By now she had determined that there were two things Selendrile was very good at, and they were getting under her skin, and kissing. Sadly the kiss was cut short when Selendrile realized just how close to daybreak it was. He sighed bitterly, and kissed her forehead. It was time to use his other talent as well...

Alys blushed and quickly looked away as Selendrile undressed not three feet in front of her. She heard him laugh, and tried not to glare at him as she yelled, "What are you doing?!"

"What I always do," she couldn't see it but she knew he was smirking, "You're my mate now, this would happen eventually," he teased.

Alys felt her cheeks turn bright red as the sun rose and Selendrile shifted to his dragon state. Still flustered, Alys picked up his garments and prepared for him to pick her up in his claws. Surprisingly, however, he didn't. She gave him a confused look, and he lay down in front of her. She gave him a look of confusion sworn she heard him laugh.

Sweeping his tail around behind her, he nudged her gently toward his back. Alys blinked a few times as this registered. He wanted her to ride him? That certainly seemed to be the case as he continued to press her until there was really no place else for her to go. And so she mounted him, looking around nervously as she tucked his clothes under her arm. He started flapping his wings, and Alys clutched onto his mane to hold on. Soon they were high above the ground. Selendrile curled his neck to look at her and make sure she was situated before diving toward the valley.

Alys screamed and hung on even tighter. Fortunately for her, Selendrile didn't do any showy tricks that would no doubt cause her to fall off. Still, it was an adrenaline rush she would not soon forget. Selendrile flew swiftly back to Drenn and landed outside the city gates. The guards hailed them warmly, and one of them even came out to help Alys off Selendrile's back. Which was a bit difficult as she felt like she could be completely paralyzed. Once she was safely on the ground, Selendrile took off again, but didn't go anywhere. Instead, he hovered a hundred feet or so above them, watching Alys intently. She waved at him, and started inside the gates and toward the manor, Selendrile following her the entire way.

As she went in the front doors, Selendrile went around to land in the back garden of the manor. Lauren was the first to greet her, and she somehow looked even happier than usual.

"Hi, missy Alys!!" she chirped, bouncing up and down, "Did you two have fun on your little honeymoon-date?"

Alys rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the glow on her face, "Well I guess Selendrile and I are technically married now, if that's what you mean."

"Well, we all knew that," Lauren huffed.

"Seriously, Lauren, nothing happened other than that," Alys tried to explain. Lauren sighed heavily, clearly stating she didn't believe her. Alys just chuckled and shook her head.

"If you say so," Lauren sang, as she began to lead Alys down a hallway, "By the way, Lady Celedine wanted to see you as soon as you got back."

"Well then I guess you should stop stalling me."

"Hey!!"

Alys giggled. "I'm just kidding, Lauren. What does that woman want now?"

"First of all to congratulate you on your union. Second to introduce you to the results of hers!"

Alys caught on right away, "Wait, so the eggs are..."

"You betcha!"

* * *

Frog: Tada! They're married!! Yay! Again I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for still reading this, it means a lot. Please review, I love to hear from you! I was originally planning to make this the second to last chapter, but as it stands right now there will be at least two more chapters after this one. I don't know when they'll be up, but it hopefully won't take as long as this last one did. Have a nice day! Bye!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Dragon's Bait.

Frog: Ok, so what happened was that after my last update, at some point over the summer my brain labeled this story as "complete" and I totally forgot it existed. Seriously! That's what happened!!

So I would like to sincerely apologize for the six-month+ time to update (at least it hasn't been a whole year like one of my other fics XP) Also, I don't remember how many eggs Celedine had, or if I even said, so she has two now. I had my sister beta this chapter because I didn't want to bother Lady Kellyn at this time of year.

This chapter is short, I know, but it has a few little fluffy moments in it. Not too many, but hopefully you all will like them. Ok enough of my talking!

* * *

Alys and Lauren hurried down the many halls of Celedine's manor and down into her and Eldeck's hoard. Already as they made their way past the piles of gold and silver they could hear soft sounds coming from near the nest. High above a stone panel began to move, revealing sunlight and Selendrile still in dragon form as he landed gracefully not far from the nest and the stone slab moved back into place.

By the time they arrived, a small crowd of guards, Edgar and some of the other servants were already gathered along with Daffodil, Lilac and the newly arrived Selendrile. The two girls joined them, panting, and Selendrile guided Alys with his tale to a closer spot.

The human girl could barely breathe at what she saw in the center of it all…

Two little dragons, one was a brilliant gold, and the other a perfect mix between the colors of its mother and father. They were small, only about the size of your average dog. Their wings were small and frail and their bodies were lightweight with long tails and large, shimmering violet eyes.

The gold one looked at their audience with curiosity while its sibling was more apprehensive. Finally the golden-bronze one let out a nervous whimper, and turned to hide back in the high ridges of his nest. Celedine purred, and leaned down, nuzzling the little one reassuringly. After a moment of ensuring it was alright she lifted her head again and looked at the gathered crowd.

"Everyone," she began, her voice holding a slight growl to it from her dragon's vocal chords, "I would like you to meet my sons Serkan and Enver."

People cheered and "ooo"ed and "awe"ed over the hatchlings. Celedine's entire posture resonated with pride at her offspring as once again, the bronze-gold dragon, Serkan, peered out at the noisy beings that surrounded him. His brother chirped and clambered out of the nest, tripping on his way and tumbling to the ground with a squeak so that he landed nearby Alys and Selendrile's feet.

Enver blinked up at them a few times before staggering back to his feet and sniffing in their direction. He blinked again and then trilled with delight, waddling over to rub against Alys' knee. And though she felt somewhat confused, Alys couldn't help but reach down and pat the little dragon affectionately on the head.

"You smell like family now," Selendrile's voice was light with amusement as he watched his nephew purr against her.

"Oh is that it?" she giggled when Enver licked her hand.

"Indeed. You may look human, but now you smell like a dragon," Celedine chuckled, gently curling her tail under her son's small body and moving him back to the nest before he licked off Alys' skin with his rough little tongue.

Alys glanced up at her husband/mate with a small smile as he lowered his head to gently nuzzle her shoulder. Alys could clearly hear Lauren's giggles off to the side, but for once, she didn't care what the girl thought, because now…well it was pretty much true…

"I regret to say we can't be staying much longer," Eldeck sighed after a moment. Selendrile tensed and several of the humans gasped or sank.

Celedine nodded in agreement, looking most specifically at her brother and his mate as she spoke, "We will be leaving once their scales have hardened. But don't worry, that won't be for a couple days. In that time, would it be too much to ask for you two to stay down here with us?"

"Of course not," Selendrile sighed after taking a moment to think about it.

* * *

The next two and a half days past quickly for Alys and Selendrile, though at parts it often seemed to drag on. Overall, however, it was over too quick.

Celedine taught them the last few bits of information they needed to know in order to keep Drenn running safely. She had even suggested that they could close the town gates until she returned, but Selendrile assured her that they could take care of any troubles that may arise. Outside the entire town was strangely quiet. After everyone had had a chance to see the little dragons up close, they had all returned home with warm hearts filled with grief that their beloved leader would soon have to leave them.

The noon sun shone hotly above the manor and the courtyard filled with every villager in the valley. On the roof of the grand building the slender golden dragon posed gracefully as her mate hovered above her, their young clinging to his mane. Selendrile sat on the rooftop of another nearby building as Alys stood closest to the building itself with Edgar on one side and Lauren on her other.

Celedine roared, the powerful sound resonating throughout the valley plain. People cheered and waved as she thrust off into the air, circling Eldeck as he made his slow accent, making sure that the young dragons wouldn't loose their grip. Suddenly the female stopped and looked back down at the people before diving and landing once again on the roof, angling her body to look directly at the closest group of humans.

"Alys," she addressed. The brown-haired girl stepped forward.

"Yes?"

She couldn't be sure, but Alys thought she might have seen a smile grace the dragoness' features, "Whatever you do, I trust you. I know my people are in good hands, whether you rule as I would have you or how you best see fit. Please, take care of my brother."

Alys blinked up at her in surprise and nodded slowly, "I'll do what I can."

"That's a good girl," Celedine purred softly and once again took to the skies to join her mate as they headed for a secluded cave to raise Serkan and Enver away from goblins and dragon-hunters that may wish to do them harm until they were big enough that they could more or less defend themselves. A few decades, Celedine had told them, but to Alys that still seemed like a long ways off.

"It'll be fine Alys," Edgar mused, watching as the dragon's disappeared into the distance, "Her ladyship has absolute faith in you and you have a good heart. And as such the people have faith in you. You needn't be nervous."

"But I'm not…" Alys paused, glancing down at her hands to see they were shaking and hung her head in defeat. Lauren, as usual, just giggled.

"We're here for you, Lady Alys! And so is your nice, handsome husband!"

Alys glanced over her shoulder to see Selendrile still perched on one of the buildings behind them. She could tell he was listening by the glint she could see in his eye even from over here, and the feeling she had in her heart.

"As are we," Daffodil smiled warmly as she and her sister bowed, "We would be honored to serve you milady as we served Celedine."

Alys let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as the support from her friends encircled her like a warm blanket, "So if I'm more or less in charge now, does that mean I can make some new rules?"

"If you would like, yes," Edgar nodded. Alys felt a small smirk tugging on her lips.

"Ok then, first rule, no one is to refer to me as "_Lady _Alys", "_milady_", "_ma'am"_, or any other number of words that imply me to be nobility in any way shape or form. I want to be called _Alys_. Is that clear?"

"Yes…er Alys," Edgar coughed uncomfortably. She chuckled.

"If you slip up every now and then, I'll let it pass, kay?" she grinned.

"Yes!" Lauren chirped with a mock salute, "Alys. I can do that!"

* * *

Later that night…

"You look exhausted," Selendrile observed as he walked into he and Alys' room. It was the same one they had been staying in before, but now with only one bed and a few other things that Lauren had thrown in for reasons Alys could never know.

"Well considering I haven't gotten much sleep since the eggs hatched, yes, I'm tired. If Celedine wasn't talking, then Serkan was making a fuss or Enver wanted someone's attention or we had company," she flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, "I got almost no sleep whatsoever…"

"So I see," Selendrile raised an eyebrow in amusement, coming to sit next to her, "Then you should rest."

Alys squeaked in surprise as he plucked her up and moved her so that her head was resting on one of the large pillows and that he was laying next to her. He brushed some of the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. She bit her lip, trying hard not to smile.

"Selendrile?" she murmured, leaning against him. He made no sound of acknowledgment, but rather nuzzled against her ear, so she continued, "Do you really think we can do this?"

He sighed quietly, "I don't think that we _can't_."

"Therefore you're saying we can?" Alys did her best to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It can be taken as such," he shrugged. She nodded silently, just for once _enjoying _his company, something which just a few months ago she never would have been able to imagine doing. Especially not like this…

She smiled again and curled up against him as he wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe next to him, and his entire body radiated with a warmth that couldn't possibly be human. So it wasn't long before she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep under the watchful, loving gaze of her mate.

* * *

Frog: Well there's that done XP I know it's short, sorry...

Great, NOW I have the urge to write baby dragons XP Maybe I'll have to make a sequel? XD I don't know, maybe.

So...one more chapter after this! It's almost over!!! Finally XP This time I promise, it WON'T take as long. My goal is to finish it by the end of January if not sooner. I know what I'm going to write, it's just a matter of getting down to type it out.

So yeah, if you're still reading this, thank you times a gazillion!!

Until next time, bye!!


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